


Beautifully Broken

by belair82



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: BDSM, Did I mention sex?, Do my readers expect anything else from me than hot lesbian sex?, Eventual Sex, F/F, Fingering, Hotel Sex, Insecure Carol, Is there anything better than really hot lesbian sex?, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Lesbians having hot lesbian sex, Like really hot sex, Mention of prison sex, Modern AU, Painting, Photography, Really hot lesbian sex, Sad death (but not one of our ladies), Shameless Smut, Smut, Surfing, Threesome, assplay, lots of cunnilingus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 03:30:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 67,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17655227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belair82/pseuds/belair82
Summary: See above tags!





	1. Chapter 1

Carol was awake for almost thirty minutes, lying in bed, staring at the wall. Assimilating back into normal life had proven difficult. Being locked up for eight years, seven months and thirteen days will do that to a person.

She had only been out for a month and had been staying holed up in a bedroom at her mother’s house. Occasionally, she went on errands with her mother, but even that was difficult. It’s not like they had given her a class on assimilating back into normal life. So much had changed in the world and navigating it was difficult. Hell, paying for anything at the grocery store had changed. What the hell was a “chip” and why did you have to have a card that had one?

Her mother had been extremely encouraging; she was always trying to get her to do something new. But the only thing that Carol wanted to do that she actually enjoyed was surfing and painting. A job? Forget it. Who wanted to hire an ex-felon? It wasn’t like she could go back to the job that she once had. All that time and money put into becoming a pharmacist was a waste. She couldn’t do that anymore. At forty-three, she was trying to figure out what do with the rest of her life. 

“Carol?” Her mother softly knocked on the door and slowly opened it, trying not to wake her.

“I’m awake, Mom.”

“Are you hungry? I made breakfast.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll be down soon.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t mean to be a bother, but maybe you should get out for a little bit today. You know, go to the beach. Maybe surf a little.”

“Maybe.” _No._ Seeing too many people at once was difficult while she was still in a prison mindset. Always worried that someone is trying to steal your things or who was only trying to pick a fight. No, staying at home was easier than dealing with the real world. Besides that, her daughter Rindy was supposed to be calling her today and she didn’t want to miss an opportunity to speak to her. 

Rindy was three when Carol went to prison and she’d missed out on so much in her daughter’s life. She would make whatever time she could to speak to her. Now she was twelve and living with her father. It was only a few hours away, but she desperately wanted to see her. Carol and her ex, Harge, had planned for Rindy to stay with Carol for a week and the sooner the time came, the more nervous Carol became.

Carol was basically a stranger to her. They’d had plenty of visits while Carol was in prison, but outside of that, she didn’t really know her daughter. At least Carol’s mother could help with that since Rindy spent time with her. 

“Are you nervous about Rindy coming here?” she asked, somehow able to know Carol’s exact train of thought.

“Yeah. I’m afraid that she’ll hate me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, darling. She just needs to get to know you.”

“She’s gonna resent me one day. For missing out on so much in her life.”

“Well, until that happens, you can spoil her rotten,” she said with a laugh, trying to quell Carol’s fears. It didn’t help.

“I guess.”

Her mother left, giving Carol some more time to think. _Think._ That’s all Carol had been doing since she’d been out was think. _Fuck it._ Carol got out of bed and changed into her wetsuit. Surfing would be the only thing to help clear her mind. 

She ate some breakfast and grabbed her board, but her mother stopped her on her way out.

“I just want to let you know that if you walk down to the beach, you’re going to pass by Therese’s house.”

“What are you talking about?” Carol’s heart began to pound in her chest. _Therese._ Had she been passing by her house when she went surfing and not known? Well, this was new information. Generally, her mother drove her down. Not that it was a far walk, but she worried about Carol.

“Why don’t I just drive you there and back like I normally do?”

“Wait a minute. What do you mean? Have we always passed by her house?”

“No. I’ve always taken a different street. But I know that you’ll walk the quickest way to the beach and her house is on the way.”

“Are you serious?” Carol was floored. She was not expecting to hear that name or to know that she lived right down the street. She had assumed that Therese had moved away a long time ago. 

“Yes, darling. Are you prepared for that if you see her?”

Carol had to take a seat. It was far too much information for her to process. She hadn’t seen Therese since that day that she left her at the bus station. That was fourteen years ago. She had tried to call her once, but Therese had hung up when Carol tried to speak. After that, she’d decided to leave her alone. 

“I hadn’t really thought about it, Mom. I didn’t even know that she lived here, to be honest.”

“I’m just giving you fair warning in case you see her. There’s something else you should know.”

“What is it?”

“Her wife is dying.”

“Jesus.”

“I know.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I didn’t think you could handle it, but you should know in case you see her. It’s not a secret that Liz is dying, but I didn’t think that you should be left in the dark.”

“Wow.”

“It’s a lot to take in, I know.”

“Do you speak to her?”

“Occasionally.”

The thought of her mother speaking to Therese made Carol’s blood boil. The reason that Carol had left Therese that day was because Carol’s parents didn’t approve of her relationship with Therese and she let that win out in the end. But she wasn’t angry with her mother. No, Carol was angry with herself for all of the stupid decisions that landed her where she was now. 

So many nights she’d lain awake in her cell wondering what would have happened if she’d only run away with Therese as she had intended to do. Would they be married? Would they have kids? Where would they be living? 

“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Carol said and grabbed her board before heading out the door for the beach.

She let all of the information sink in. Therese’s wife was dying. Jesus, Therese got a raw deal. First Carol leaving her and then finding happiness only to have it taken away. She cautiously looked around at each house that she passed. Which one was Therese’s? She got her answer when she saw Therese sitting on the front steps.

Suddenly, it was fourteen years ago and she was looking at the woman whose heart she had broken. Carol remembered seeing her that day so long ago. How beautifully heartbroken she was, realizing that Carol wasn’t going to run away with her as she had promised.

Well, this was it; she was going to have to face her sooner or later. It was as good a time as any to not be a coward. Would Therese even speak to her? Scream at her? Tell her what a horrible person she was?

She kept on her path, not deviating because she knew she had to get this over with. The closer she got to her, the more nervous she became. Carol tried to hold her head high, but found it extremely difficult. Finally, their eyes locked and Carol wasn’t sure what emotion had swept across Therese’s face. Was it anger? Pity?

They were only twenty feet away from each other when Carol stopped. She willed her body to move, but coming face to face with Therese after fourteen years made her stop dead in her tracks. She was still the most beautiful woman that Carol had ever seen. 

“I was wondering when I’d see you.” Therese didn’t seem angry. In fact, there was a sadness in her tone. “I heard you were back in town.”

Carol cautiously approached, unsure if she’d be welcomed or chastised. Therese took a long drink from her mug and set it down on the steps beside her, eyeing Carol the entire time.

“I won’t bite. Promise.” She looked tired.

“Hey.” Carol finally found words and what a stupid word it was. Who says “hey” after everything the two of them had been through? “I didn’t know you were living here. Thought you’d move away.”

“I did, but I came back. I don’t know why.”

“How are you?”

“I’ve been better.”

“Me too.”

“I heard. How’s life on the outside treating you?”

“Rough,” Carol said with a sigh. “But I deserve it.”

“No, you don’t,” Therese said with a smile.

“Thanks.” 

“Going surfing?”

“Oh.” Carol looked down at her board. It was a new one that her mother bought for her. A gift for making it out of prison. “Yeah. It helps clear my head. I’m still a bit rusty, but it’s almost like riding a bike.”

“You always did like to surf.” It was an acknowledgment of their history and Carol was grateful for it.

“I heard about your wife,” Carol said cautiously. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. I guess I’m just not meant to be with someone forever.”

Carol knew she had to say something, anything to apologize for what happened. She had written it in the letter, but it’s not the same as saying it face to face.

“Look, about what happened …”

“Don’t,” Therese interrupted. “You don’t need to say anything. It was a long time ago and we were both young.”

“No, I need to say this. Just … I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving the way I did. I’m sorry for leaving you sitting there waiting for me. I’m sorry that I ended what we had and couldn’t tell you face to face. I’m sorry for being such a coward. I’m sorry for everything. You deserved better than that. You deserved better than me. If it’s any consolation, my life has been a giant clusterfuck without you … because I left you.”

Therese seemed to consider everything that Carol had just spit out. It was a lot to take in and something that she was probably hoping to hear for a long time.

“It’s okay. I forgave you a long time ago, but I appreciate the apology.”

Carol was overcome with all sorts of emotions; happiness that Therese forgave her and relief for finally getting it off of her chest. 

“Thank you. I’ve struggled with that for so long. You don’t know what it means to me to hear you say that.” Was Carol crying? Yep, tears had actually fallen. She quickly wiped them away, not wanting to look like a total idiot. She tried to compose herself. “I should get going.”

“Good luck out there surfing.”

“Thanks.” 

Carol smiled and kept on her path to the beach. God, how many more times was she going to come face to face with that woman? Their interaction was awkward at best and now it was sure to be more awkward since they didn’t live far apart. She knew that she’d have to find another way to walk to the beach. Once she got her license back, she wouldn’t have to worry about passing Therese’s house every day. 

Once she got out on her board in the waves, nothing else mattered. This was the one place that Carol found solace. Surfing was one of the luxuries that she had missed the most. Being out on the waves and not having anything else to worry about was the most incredible feeling for her. Surfing was her drug.

She stayed out in the water a while before deciding to go home, not wanting to miss Rindy’s phone call. But when she got out of the water, she noticed that she had a gawker. She ignored the woman’s obvious stares and started for home.

“Carol?”

That voice. Carol turned around and looked straight into those dark brown eyes that she could never forget. 

“Fiona? Holy shit, is that really you?”

“What? Has age not been kind to me?” Fiona asked with a smirk.

“No, it’s not that …” _Definitely not that._ Fiona was still as beautiful as she had ever been. Age had been more than kind to Fiona Bell. She was stunning for fifty-one. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you, that’s all. And yes, age has been kind to you.”

“Do I not get a hug? I mean, it’s been what? Twenty years?”

“Something like that.”

Carol graciously accepted a hug from an old friend. _Friend? Is that what we were?_ They had been more than friends at one point, but never in a relationship. Oh hell, who was she kidding? They _were_ friends. Friends that had ridiculously hot sex.

“I heard you’re a free woman.”

“You heard right.”

“What have you been up to since you’ve been out? Besides the obvious.” Fiona gestured to Carol’s board.

“Oh, you know. Trying to figure out how to start over at forty-three … what I should do with the rest of my life. The usual.”

That got a laugh from the woman standing in front of her and Carol found herself laughing for the first time in a long time.

“Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. What are you doing today?”

“Well, since I have no job and no prospects, I’d say my schedule is pretty wide open.”

“You should come by the house,” she said with a shrug. “We could catch up.”

“You still live in the same house?”

“Surprised?”

“A little. You think that’s a good idea, though? Me coming over.”

“I’m not married anymore, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Oh. Yeah, the thought crossed my mind,” Carol said, sheepishly.

“I can assure you that it’s just me and my son when he’s in town.”

“Jesus, he’s got to be at least thirty by now.”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Now I feel old.”

“Well, if you’re old, I’m ancient.”

“You certainly don’t look it.” Carol’s eyes got wide. “Oh god, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you don’t look your age. You never did, though.”

“It’s okay,” Fiona said, smiling. “I’ll take any compliment I can get. So, can I expect to see you later?”

Maybe this was what Carol needed: to get out and catch up with an old friend. If she was being honest with herself, she was tired of sulking in her bedroom.

“Yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

Therese wasn’t exactly surprised to see Carol - she knew that Carol was living with her mother, down the street. It was just an awkward conversation. She hadn’t seen her in fourteen years and wasn’t really prepared to speak to her. In hindsight, she knew that she should have prepared for that meeting at some point. 

“Who were you talking to?”

The question came from Therese’s wife, Liz. Ah, Liz. What would Therese have done without that woman? They met after Therese had finished nursing school and started working at one of the hospitals. Liz was also a nurse and the first time that Therese had seen her, she was completely enamored. At first, the attraction for Therese was the fact that she reminded her of Carol: tall, blonde and gorgeous. She was even the same age as Carol – a fact that Therese didn’t find out until she got to know her. 

It wasn’t easy going whenever Therese tried to get to know her. Liz had almost tried to avoid her whenever possible, but Therese was patient and they slowly became friends. She later found out that Liz’s resistance was because she had never been with a woman and her feelings for Therese terrified her. 

“What are you doing? I told you that I’d get you breakfast when you woke up.”

“Oh hush, I’m not an invalid.”

Liz had cancer that had spread through her entire body and death was inevitable. Therese was doing everything to keep her comfortable.

“I know you’re not, but you know I worry about you.”

“I know, sweetheart and I appreciate that, but I hate being in a bed constantly. You know that.”

Therese helped her into the chair and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, my love. Do you plan on answering my question?”

“Which one?”

“Who were you talking to?”

“Oh, that. Carol.”

“Carol? _The_ Carol?”

“The one and only,” Therese said while she fixed breakfast.

“Wow. When was the last time you spoke to her?”

“Fourteen years ago.”

“How was that conversation?”

“Awkward.”

“I’ll bet. I want to meet her.”

“Why? It’s not like we’re friends. I’m sure we won’t be spending much time together.”

“I don’t know. I’ve heard a lot about her.”

“Maybe you’ll see her on her way back home. She was going surfing. I don’t want to talk about Carol anymore.”

“You’re not over it, are you?”

“It was a long time ago.”

“That’s not what I asked, darling.”

Therese sat down and let out an exasperated sigh. Was she over it? Of course she was. At least that’s what she told herself.

“I don’t know. I’ve forgiven her for it. It’s in the past and I’d like to leave it there.”

“I don’t think you have that luxury, sweetheart. She lives right down the street and I’m sure you’ll be seeing quite a bit of her.”

“Eat,” Therese said. She pushed the plate in front of Liz and gave her a grin, trying to change the subject.

“You can’t shut me up with food, you know.” Liz stuck out her tongue and Therese laughed. “I still want to meet her.”

“Fine. Now eat or I’ll force feed you.”

“Promise?”

“Just eat,” Therese said, giggling.

Liz sat, eating her food and side-eyeing Therese. This was her way of trying to keep her mouth shut; Therese had learned that early on in their relationship. She knew that it was killing Liz to be quiet.

“What? I know you’re not done, so let’s talk.”

“I just think that you need to face this thing with Carol. The two of you have a history and not a good one.”

“It wasn’t all bad, Liz. Only the end.”

“Maybe you should talk to her about it.”

Therese knew what Liz was trying to do. Being so close to death made Liz become more of a forgiving person, although she always had been. But Therese knew that Liz wasn’t going to give up on this.

“It’s not that serious, Liz. Like I said before, it’s in the past. I would prefer to leave it there.”

“But you never got closure.”

“I just did. She apologized. End of story.”

“It’s not that easy. You need to get it all out. Besides,” Liz said with a wink, “I would really like to meet this woman. I mean, her mother _does_ make those awesome weed brownies for me.”

“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

“Nope,” Liz replied as she shook her head. Therese had to suppress a chuckle at Liz’s sly smile.

“Fine.” Therese sighed as she thought about another uncomfortable conversation with Carol. “Although, I think dinner might be awkward.”

“Just invite her in some time when she passes by the house. Tell her I want to meet her. Who’s going to say no to a dying woman?”

“You’re just going to keep using that dying card, aren’t you?” Therese asked with a smirk.

“Hell yeah. I’d be stupid not to.”

After breakfast, Liz went to the couch to nap. Her energy had been depleted after such a short period of time. Therese knew that Liz’s days were numbered and she was doing everything she could to keep her comfortable and happy. Therese cleaned the kitchen and went back outside to wait for Carol. Unfortunately, she never saw her, but she decided that she’d have a real conversation with her for Liz’s sake.

* * *

When Carol had walked home from the beach later that morning, she purposely took another way home to avoid another awkward, unnecessary conversation with Therese. It felt childish, but she needed to get her bearings after seeing her that morning. The interaction left her feeling uneasy until she saw Fiona after surfing.

_Fiona._ Carol was still trying to figure out how she made her way to Fiona’s house that evening. She was an old friend that Carol hadn’t seen in years and it was nice to be in the company of someone who once knew her. 

As she stood at the table, drinking her wine, staring into the eyes that once set her body on fire, she wondered how this night would end. Would she be weak and end up in Fiona’s bed or would she be able to walk the short distance home? Fiona had always had a hold over her. 

It was never love between the two of them; only pure, raw lust. At one point in Carol’s life, she would have been happy to have Fiona choose her, but Fiona had a husband and a son and her son would always come first. Carol understood that, but for as long as their affair lasted, she held onto hope that the older woman would change her mind. She didn’t and Carol moved on. Carol was never heartbroken over Fiona’s decision to end their affair and that’s how she knew that she wasn’t in love with her.

But the way that Fiona was looking at Carol at that moment, Carol knew that she would be naked with Fiona before the night was over.

“What are you thinking about?” Fiona asked, her voice soft, her tone curious.

“If I’m being honest, I’m wondering why you invited me here,” Carol replied honestly.

“Why do you think I invited you here?”

“Come on, Fi. You and I only ever got together for one thing.”

“I wanted to catch up with an old friend. We didn’t _only_ just have sex together; we were friends.”

“Were we?” Carol wasn’t sure why she became so feisty all of a sudden, but she wanted Fiona to state her intentions for the night.

“I thought we were. Do you think I only invited you over for sex?”

“The thought crossed my mind.” She came off more arrogant than she intended, but Carol wasn’t in the mood for games. 

“Well, I thought we could catch up and if you were interested, then we could see where the night would go. I’m not trying to pressure you into anything. I don’t want you to feel obligated to me in any way.”

Carol sighed, feeling like an ass. “I’m sorry. I think prison fucks with your head. I’ve learned to just try to get to the point and not play games. I thought maybe you were and I apologize for sounding like a dick. Please forgive me.”

“No harm done,” Fiona said, smiling. “It is nice to see you, Carol. I hadn’t expected to see you this morning at the beach. I didn’t even know you were here.”

“I must say that seeing you threw me off a little, but it’s nice to see you, too. How have you been? Tell me about the divorce.”

“We both finally decided to quit faking it for Eric’s sake. I think it was the best decision we’d both ever made. Eric was older when we divorced, so it wasn’t too hard on him.”

“So, no woman in your life then?” Curiosity got the better of her.

“Not anymore. I was with Renee for four years, but it just didn’t work.”

“What happened?”

Fiona shrugged. “I don’t think I’m relationship material and she never had the patience for me.”

“Patience?”

“I think I was too demanding of her. She was too kind for me anyway.”

“Don’t say that. You deserve to be happy.”

“I’m fifty-one,” Fiona said with a sadness in her voice. “How am I going to find someone to share my life with at this point?”

“You never know what’s around the corner, waiting for you.”

“Death,” she said with a small chuckle.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.”

“So … tell me about you. How’s life on the outside?”

“It’s okay. I haven’t gotten out much. It’s weird being free. I mean, it feels good. It’s just … it’s hard to explain. So much has changed in the world in the last eight years.”

“That’s certainly true. I must say I’m surprised you came back here.”

“I didn’t exactly have a choice. My mother offered for me to stay with her and I wasn’t in a position to say no, so …”

“How is it with you and your mom?”

“Awkward. I guess we both have to get reacquainted with one another. Our relationship is easier without my father there. She seems calmer since he died. I’ve never seen her that way, but it’s nice.”

“I’m sorry about your father.”

Carol shrugged. “I’m not.” Two simple words, but it was the truth. Carol was happy to not have him in her life anymore. If he was still alive, Carol would have found another place to stay after being released from prison. She despised the man and he was never crazy about her. But Carol’s sister Elaine was a different story. Elaine was his pride and joy; the perfect daughter who did everything right. Carol had tried for a long time to do everything right by him and make him proud. Eventually, she finally gave up trying to please him.

“Somehow, I knew you’d say that,” Fiona replied, smiling. She had been well aware of Carol’s relationship - or lack thereof - with her father. “Would you like to go out back and listen to the ocean?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

Carol always loved Fiona’s house; it came with a private beach and it was so convenient to walk out back and right onto the beach. The salt of the ocean hit Carol as soon as they stepped outside. The ocean was a part of Carol; it was ingrained into her soul and she always felt whole when she returned to it.

“I’ll bet you missed the ocean the most while you were in prison,” Fiona guessed.

“Actually, I missed my daughter most, but the ocean was a close second.” Carol searched Fiona’s eyes for any sign of surprise at the admission that she had a daughter. She wasn’t disappointed when Fiona’s eyebrows shot up. “Surprised?”

“A little. I wasn’t expecting that. How old is she?”

“Twelve.”

“Wow! She must have been young when you went to prison?”

“Three.” One word answers were all that Carol could come up with at that moment. Talking about Rindy was difficult. Carol knew that Rindy would never live with her and she still wasn’t able to come to terms with that. “Her name is Rindy,” Carol said softly, unsure that Fiona heard her. “She’s almost thirteen. She knows who I am. We talk a lot on the phone and her father would bring her to visit.”

“I’m sorry.” Fiona’s voice was tender when she spoke and her hand drifted to Carol’s, giving it a slight squeeze. “It must be difficult for you. We don’t have to talk about it.”

“Thank you.” Carol wiped away a tear that escaped.

“So, you’ve picked up surfing again?” Carol was thankful for the subject change.

“I have. It’s been incredible to be out on the board again.” Carol felt lighter, talking about surfing. It was such a passion of hers for so long and she always regretted not following through with her dream of surfing. She probably could have done something with it if she really wanted to, but instead she chose not to. She chose a career that would appease her father and she always regretted that decision.

“You looked good out there today. Like you never lost any time surfing.”

“Thanks.”

“You were always such a natural on that thing.”

“Everything’s different when I’m in the water. I feel calm, at peace.”

“It shows.” 

Whether it was the effects of the alcohol, the ocean or just being in Fiona’s company, Carol wasn’t sure, but she leaned over and kissed Fiona’s full, soft lips. The older woman never stopped her and pulled Carol closer. It was a slow kiss, but quickly became hungry.

“Would you like to go inside?” Fiona asked when she pulled back.

“I would.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

When Carol rolled over, she felt the sun on her face. She opened her eyes to find Fiona watching her with a smile. It was odd, waking up with Fiona. In the entire time she had known her, Carol could only remember waking up twice with Fiona. It still felt wrong to be in Fiona’s bed even though they were both single women. Their previous affair had been relegated to quickies when they could manage, but this … this leisurely taking their time with one another was strange.

The previous night was exciting, to say the least. They were able to enjoy each other; a luxury not previously afforded. It was a slow, long night that had Carol sleeping in later than usual. 

Fiona was still as beautiful as she had ever been. She was always a tall, lithe woman with a darker complexion, beautiful brown eyes and deliciously full lips. Carol remembered getting lost in those lips. And that long, dark hair that Carol loved having brushed along the length of her body.

“What are you thinking about?” Fiona asked as her fingers brushed up the length of Carol’s naked leg.

“So many things.”

“Tell me,” she said softly.

“Well, for starters, how the hell do you still look so incredible after twenty years?”

“Genetics,” she replied with a shrug. “I could say the same about you.” She leaned over and kissed Carol softly. “What else were you thinking?”

“Just that I can count on one hand how many times we’ve woken up together. It feels odd.”

“Oh, do you not want to be naked in my bed?” she asked with a smirk.

“Don’t be coy.”

“You remember the last time we woke up together?”

“I do.” Carol smiled at the memory.

“I think it was something like this,” Fiona said as her hand moved in-between Carol’s legs. Carol opened her legs, welcoming Fiona’s nimble fingers to explore more of her. “Do you remember this?” she whispered into Carol’s ear.

“Yes,” Carol breathed out. Her heart rate picked up as Fiona gently stroked the length of her pussy. Her hand stopped and she cupped Carol’s sex in her hand as she gently massaged.

“Or was it more like this?” Her voice was soft, soothing.

“It was.” Carol was barely able to focus when Fiona applied pressure, the heel of her hand creating delicious friction against Carol’s clit. “Oh, Fi,” Carol whispered. “Fuck, that feels so good.”

Fiona slid a long finger inside Carol, never stopping her erotic massaging. She dipped her head down to cover a nipple with her mouth. She flicked her tongue quickly before sucking Carol’s breast into her mouth. Her hand became insistent, stoking a fire in Carol, coaxing another orgasm from her. Carol held Fiona’s head against her chest when she felt another finger enter her. 

“Don’t stop, Fi,” Carol said, panting the words. Her hips rocked in rhythm with Fiona’s hand, unable to stay still. Carol felt the orgasm build slowly at first, but soon, she couldn’t control it any longer and she didn’t want to. 

Gone were the days of trying to conceal an orgasm with so many other people around, stolen sexual encounters in a grimy bathroom of a prison. No, Carol didn’t need to hold back any longer and she didn’t. She felt it shoot through her body, all the way to her toes. She screamed Fiona’s name as she held onto her for support. It felt relieving to finally be vocal during sex again. 

“Was that how I woke you up the last time we woke up together?” Fiona asked as she rested her head on Carol’s stomach, her hand unmoving, still stroking lightly along Carol’s pussy.

“Something like that,” Carol replied, still trying to catch her breath.

“I don’t remember you being so vocal.” She kissed Carol’s nipple and then her lips. “You were never that loud before.”

“To be fair, our sexual history consisted of us having to be as quick as possible.”

“You have a point there.”

“Also, eight years in prison will force a person to become quiet.”

“Ah, that makes perfect sense. You have all that bottled up and now you need to let it out.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, I like the way you sound when you moan and scream my name.”

“Thank you,” Carol said with a shy smile.

“So was last night the first time you had sex outside of prison?” Carol nodded. “Well then, I feel honored. Has it been up to your standards?”

“It’s been wonderful, Fi.”

* * *

Therese was sitting on the front porch, drinking her morning coffee. She always enjoyed the sound of the ocean early in the morning before any other sounds interrupted the crashing of the waves. She was always a proud member of the “dawn patrol” and Liz always told her that she could never understand why someone would want to be up so early in the morning.

It wasn’t that early, but Therese had been sitting outside for a while when she saw Carol walking down the street. Therese laughed to herself; it was obvious that she’d be seeing a lot of Carol Aird now that she was back in her life.

“Good morning,” she said when Carol got closer.

“Morning,” Carol said with a smile. “You always sit on your porch in the morning?”

“I do. I like the sound of the ocean this early.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Carol stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at Therese. “It’s why I like to surf early, before anyone gets out there.”

“No surfing this morning?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You on your way home?”

“Oh …” Carol looked down at her clothes, seeming somewhat shy. “Yeah.”

“You want some coffee?”

Carol stared at her in disbelief, probably surprised at the gesture. “Um, you think that’s a good idea?”

“It’s coffee.”

“Yeah, but …”

“But what? Look Carol, you and I don’t live far apart. I think it’d be a good idea if we tried to be friends, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

“I guess I am, too,” Therese said, smiling. “Come inside. Someone wants to meet you, anyway.”

Carol followed Therese in the house and stood awkwardly at the door. Therese told her to follow her.

“Your house is nice. Kind of reminds me of the one that I had.”

“Thank you.”

Therese poured Carol a cup of coffee and refilled hers. They sat down at the table and Carol looked completely out of her comfort zone.

“Does this seem strange to you?” Carol asked.

“Somewhat,” Therese said with a small chuckle. “I think you’re more nervous about it than I am.”

“I have to admit that I didn’t think I’d ever be sitting in your kitchen.”

“I never thought you’d be either, but here we are.”

“Mom tells me you’re a nurse.”

“Yep. Going on ten years.”

“I’m not surprised. You were always the caretaker.”

They were interrupted by Liz calling for Therese. She excused herself and helped Liz into the kitchen.

“So, you’re the infamous Carol,” Liz said after being introduced.

“Well, I don’t know about infamous, but I can only imagine the things that you’ve heard about me. I hope they’re not all bad?”

“Oh no, they’re not. I’ve heard plenty from your mother and Therese. I must admit that I’ve been asking Therese to invite you in since yesterday morning.”

“Really? Why?”

“Curiosity, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “Wouldn’t you be curious?”

“Depends on what I’ve heard, I suppose.”

“Don’t mind her,” Therese said, getting up to refill her coffee mug. “She wants to know everything about everyone.”

“It’s okay. Everyone wants to know about the last eight years of my life, so I’m used to the curiosity.”

“I’m more interested in what led to you getting _into_ prison.”

Therese watched as Carol seemed to be choosing the right words to say. Truth be told, she was curious herself. She’d never asked Linda, Carol’s mother, because she felt it to be a gross invasion of privacy. Therese knew that she had no right to learn anything about Carol’s life. She wanted to avoid learning anything about Carol that she could. Sure, Carol would come up in conversations with Linda, but Therese never pried.

“Well,” Carol said, “let’s just say that it was me being too trusting and not following my instincts.”

“That’s sufficiently vague,” Liz replied, laughing.

Carol broke out into a full grin that Therese hadn’t seen in a long time. She had to admit that it was nice to see Carol happy.

“It is,” Carol replied. “I fucked up and trusted someone who I _thought_ loved me.” She briefly looked at Therese and then back to Liz. “Karma, I guess,” Carol said with a shrug.

“That’s not karma,” Therese chimed in. “I’m sure you didn’t deserve prison time for what happened between us,” she said, softly.

“So, how was it in there?” Liz asked.

“At first, I sulked a lot and stayed in my bed most of the time. But after a while, I finally started making friends and I took up painting. It’s not that bad, I guess. You learn to make the most of it.”

“I’m sorry if I’m being extremely nosy. It’s really none of my business.”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Carol smiled at Liz. “I like you.”

“I like you, too.” Liz turned her attention to Therese. “Pancakes this morning?”

“Of course.”

“With blueberries?”

“Yes, love.” Therese turned to Carol, feeling more comfortable with her in the house. “Are you hungry?”

“Oh no, I can’t possibly intrude. I should probably get home.”

“Not hungry?” Liz asked.

“Well yeah, but I don’t want to be an imposition.”

“You’re not. Did that woman not feed you this morning?” Oh jeez, Liz was on a roll this morning. Therese watched Carol blush and shake her head.

“Not that she didn’t want to, but I didn’t really give her a chance,” Carol answered honestly.

“Why not?”

Carol shrugged. “It was odd enough waking up with her. I decided to just get the hell out.”

Therese listened to the conversation as she cooked the pancakes. She was most definitely curious, but Liz was doing an excellent job of asking all the questions that Therese wanted to.

“One-night stand?”

“Umm … not exactly?”

“Another vague answer.”

Therese laughed at Liz’s line of questioning. “You know, you don’t have to answer her,” Therese interrupted and Carol waved her off.

“It’s fine. I’m not exactly sure how do describe it.” Carol paused and took a deep breath. “We used to sleep together a long time ago.”

“Just sex? Not a relationship?”

“Yes, just sex. _Never_ a relationship.”

“Why not?”

“I was really young and stupid and she was married at the time.”

“She’s not married anymore?”

“No. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about that anymore.”

“She can be rather nosy, can’t she?” Therese asked.

“I’m dying. All of your secrets are safe with me.” Liz winked at Carol. “Okay, I apologize if I’ve overstepped.”

“Not a problem.”

“Let’s talk about something else. How about Rindy? Will you be seeing her soon?”

Carol looked surprised at the mention of her daughter’s name.

“Liz and I have met her before when she’s stayed with your mom,” Therese explained.

“Oh, of course. I didn’t think about that. Yeah, she’ll be here in a week. I’m pretty nervous about her visiting. I don’t know her outside of prison, so it’ll be awkward at first.”

“I think you’ll be fine,” Liz said. “She’s a pretty good kid.”

“I wish I could take credit for that, but yeah, she’s a good kid.”

“Do you have anything planned for her?” Therese asked. 

“Not really. I think I’ll just play it by ear and see what she wants to do. I would like to take her surfing, though.”

“I’m sure she’ll love it.”

* * *

“What was with the twenty questions?” Therese asked Liz after Carol left. 

“Oh, come on. Like you didn’t want to ask.”

“Maybe,” Therese said, shrugging.

“Well, I was asking the questions that you couldn’t. How could she possibly not appease me by answering?”

“Well, aren’t you just so clever.”

“I really like her, though. She’s pretty hot, too.” Therese rolled her eyes. “What? I’m dying, not blind. I kind of hope that she comes around some more. I’d like to get to know her better, that is if it doesn’t bother you.”

“It doesn’t bother me, love.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've finally met Liz!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Ligeria for all of her help! And thank you all for reading and commenting!

Carol took a deep, calming breath as she waited outside for her daughter. Rindy had sent a text that she was five minutes away and Carol went outside to wait for her.

“Nervous?” Linda asked when she walked outside.

“Yeah. Am I that obvious?”

“I think it’s natural for you to be nervous. You haven’t spent any time with her outside of prison since she was small.” Linda walked over to her and wrapped an arm around Carol’s shoulders. “You’ll be fine,” she reassured. “And I’m right here, sweetheart. I can help fill in where you need me to.”

Carol was slightly taken aback by her mother’s willingness to want to help with Rindy, but when she really thought about it, she shouldn’t have been surprised at all. Since being released from prison, the only person that she’d been able to count on was her mother; a woman who didn’t seem to be the same person that she used to be. It seemed that Carol’s father’s death had completely changed her mother for the better. She knew that her father’s personality had negatively impacted her mother, but this was different; this was a woman that Carol had never known.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m so scared that she’ll hate me or won’t accept me into her life at all. What if she’s been brainwashed into thinking that I’m some horrible person because of prison or because I’m gay? I don’t know if I can handle that.”

“Sweetheart, she loves you and she’s already accepted you. She’s coming to stay, isn’t she? Do you think she’d really come all this way down here if she didn’t love you?”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Two minutes later and Rindy was hugging her father goodbye before running up the front steps to greet her mother and grandmother.

“Mom!” Rindy exclaimed and barreled into Carol’s waiting arms. Carol had not expected this reaction; it made her heart soar.

“Hey, sweet pea!” Rindy wrapped her arms around Carol’s waist in a solid hug. “My goodness, someone missed me.”

“I did.”

Carol looked at her mother, unable to stop a tear from falling. Linda mouthed “told you” and gave her a warm smile.

“I missed you, too, baby.” Carol bent down and kissed Rindy’s cheek. “Why don’t we get your stuff to your room and then we can go get something to eat? Does that sound good to you?”

“Yeah!”

When Rindy ran inside to put her things in the extra bedroom, Linda gave Carol a hug. “She’s ecstatic to see you, baby. I told you she would be.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Mom!” Rindy shouted from the stairs.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Carol went inside to see Rindy holding the surfboard that Carol had left in her room.

“Is this for me?” she asked, surprised.

“It is. I thought maybe you’d like to learn how to surf? I could teach you … if you want.”

“Your mother could’ve turned pro,” Linda said coming through the door. It surprised Carol that her mother was bringing up Carol’s surfing past and sounded proud. She wasn’t wrong; Carol _could_ have turned pro if she’d have stuck with surfing. But fears, insecurities, and pressure from her father forced her to give up her dream.

“Is that true, Mom?” Rindy asked with wide eyes, apparently just now learning this information.

“I suppose I could have.” Carol was always modest about her talent.

“Could have?” Linda scoffed. “No one even came close to your mother on the waves. She was the best there was.”

“I don’t know about that,” Carol countered.

“I do. You were great out there. Don’t diminish your talent.”

“Will you really teach me, Mom?”

Carol turned to her daughter. “If you really want to learn, yeah.”

“Yay!” Rindy took the board back to her room and Carol turned to her mother.

“Mom …”

“Before you say anything, I need to apologize for never encouraging you to pursue your surfing career. You were and are still an excellent surfer. I don’t know if you know this, but I used to come down to the beach when you’d compete. You were incredible, Carol.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say … thank you. It means a lot, Mom.”

“Where are you going to take Rindy to eat?”

“I don’t know. Probably just walk down close to the beach and find a place down there. You’re coming along, aren’t you?”

“No. You need to some time with Rindy alone.”

“You’re welcome to come.”

“I know, but you should be alone with her. Take the time to get to know her. Cherish the time you have with her now.” Carol felt that her mother was holding onto some guilt about her own relationship with Carol with the way that she said the last statement.

“I will,” Carol said with a smile.

* * *

Carol and Rindy walked down to the beach, looking for a place to eat. It was a warm, clear summer night and Carol would never tire of the smell of the ocean in the air. If there was a heaven, Carol decided that it would smell like the ocean for her. She inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes.

“What are you doing?”

She almost forgot Rindy was there. “Just enjoying the smell of the ocean.”

“Could you really have been a professional surfer?”

“I suppose. I was pretty disciplined and spent most of my time on the water. Chances are if I wasn’t sleeping, I was surfing,” Carol said with a grin.

“What happened that you changed your mind?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly change my mind. It just wasn’t encouraged by my father and I was scared and insecure. I didn’t think that I’d be able to make it on my own, so I chose a different path, that’s all.” It wasn’t a complete lie; more like a PG rated version of the truth. She didn’t exactly want to paint an ugly picture to her daughter about the girl’s grandfather.

“Oh. Do you regret it?”

Good lord, Rindy was awfully inquisitive this evening.

“There are some things that I regret, but I don’t think I really regret that. If I would’ve stuck with it, I wouldn’t have you.” Carol gave her a wink and wrapped her arm around Rindy’s shoulders. “What do you want to eat? I think there’s a food truck down here with awesome tacos.” She was more than happy to change the subject.

“Oh yeah, tacos!”

“Tacos it is.”

After getting their food, they sat down at a bench watching the waves. Rindy’s enthusiasm for tacos rivaled her mother’s.

“Do you know Therese and Liz?” Rindy asked, making Carol almost choke. Not exactly the question she was expecting from her.

“I do.”

“Could I visit them while I’m here?”

“I’d have to ask, but I’m sure they’d love to see you.” Great, just what she needed: more Therese in her life. “Do you know that Liz is sick?”

“Yeah, Grandma told me. I want to see her, because … well …” Rindy clearly didn’t know how to express what she wanted to say. She was still so young to have to face death.

“I know, sweetheart.”

“Do you think we could stop by on the way home?”

“We can, but if she’s not feeling up to company, we can’t impose. Okay?”

“Okay,” Rindy said, dejectedly.

“I’ve heard that Liz has quite the sweet tooth. It couldn’t hurt to bring some cupcakes with us. What do you think?”

“Yeah!”

On their way back they stopped at a small bakery and picked out some cupcakes, Rindy insisting on chocolate fudge for Liz because she claimed that the woman loved chocolate. It made Carol wonder how much time her daughter had spent with Therese and it felt extremely strange to her.

Soon enough, Carol and Rindy were standing in front of the one house that Carol didn’t want to be standing in front of. She knew that she’d have run-ins with Therese, but deliberately going to her house for a visit wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind. 

The only other time she had been inside was because Therese had invited her in and she wanted to get the awkwardness out of the way, but this was intentional. How was she supposed to deny her daughter this? There was no way that she was going to say no to her and in the back of her mind, she almost hoped that Liz wasn’t up for company. Then she felt like shit for even thinking that, knowing that Liz didn’t have that many more good days in her. Carol seriously needed to get over herself.

“Hello,” Therese said when she opened the door. “Oh my, who is this girl? That can’t be Rindy,” she said, looking her up and down.

“Of course it’s me!” Rindy exclaimed with a laugh.

“I know that, silly,” Therese said and ruffled Rindy’s hair. “But you’ve grown so much!”

“Rindy wanted to stop by and see the both of you. If Liz isn’t up to it, we can leave,” Carol said, almost embarrassed to be there.

“Don’t worry about it.” Therese offered a smile. “I’m sure she’d love the company. Come on in.”

“We brought cupcakes.” Carol held them up and smiled.

“Oh, she’ll love that,” Therese said as she led them out to the back deck.

Carol looked around, loving the setup. It was screened in with a table and chairs. There was even a futon that Liz was sitting in. She assumed that they spent a lot of time out here; it looked lived in.

“Well, they’re not brownies from my mother, but I’m sure they’ll do,” Carol said and sat them on the table. 

She greeted Liz, who was more than happy to see them both. Carol let Rindy visit with Liz and helped Therese get drinks for them.

“She definitely loves your mom’s brownies the best,” Therese said with a smirk.

“I’ve never seen my mom make any for her, but I’ll tell her to if Liz wants them.”

“You know, they’re not _regular_ brownies, right?”

Carol looked at her, slightly confused by what she meant and then it suddenly clicked.

“Oh my god, my mother is making weed brownies?” she whispered, not wanting her daughter to overhear their conversation.

“Yeah,” Therese replied, barely able to contain her laughter. 

“Holy shit!”

“When Liz got sick, your mother wanted to help any way that she could,” Therese explained. “Liz convinced her to put weed in her favorite brownies.” Therese shrugged. “She said she would.”

“Wow.” Carol was still trying to get used to the new woman that was her mother.

“Yeah.” Therese made a pot of coffee and grabbed a bottle of juice for Rindy. “So, how’s it going with her?” Therese nodded in Rindy’s direction.

“Pretty good. I guess I thought it would be difficult to be with her, but she’s been really excited to be with me, so I guess that’s a good thing.”

“Of course she’d be excited, you’re her mother.”

“I’m going to teach her how to surf. She seemed pretty excited about it.”

“Surfing lessons from a pro. I’m jealous.”

“I’m not as good as I used to be, but I _am_ getting better. Do you still surf?”

“Not like I used to and especially not since Liz has gotten worse.”

“If you want, I can give you a refresher.” _Shut your mouth, Carol._ “I mean, if you ever can.” _Shut the fuck up._ “I know that you’re busy with Liz, but I don’t mind.” _Dumbass._

“That might be fun. I take Liz down to the beach sometimes. She might like that. I’ll have to find someone to sit with her, though. But I don’t think that’ll be too hard. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

This was Carol’s out; her opportunity to say that, yes, she _did_ mind.

“Not at all.” _Fuck._

They exchanged phone numbers while Carol mentally kicked her own ass. Why did her mouth keep running when she should have learned to just shut the fuck up? Was she really that lonely that she wanted to force herself to spend more time with Therese? Either way, they’d be spending even more time together soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rindy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your wonderful comments. I have the best readers in the world!

Therese rolled over and looked at the clock. It was still early and she tried to go back to sleep since she didn’t sleep well the night before. Coming off of nights was always difficult for her. Therese didn’t like to leave Liz alone, but she knew that she’d be asleep for a while, so she decided to brew some coffee and head down to the beach for a bit.

She was quiet as she left and the sun was barely up over the horizon when she made it to the beach. Therese always felt guilty for leaving Liz alone, fearing that something would happen, but Liz was adamant on not being kept alive if something happened to her. She didn’t want to be on life support and she didn’t want to die in a hospital. Liz had also insisted that Therese take some time for herself when she needed it.

Therese sat down, enjoying the feeling of the cool sand on her feet. She had taken her journal with her, wanting to write down everything that she had been feeling lately. She found it cathartic since Liz’s condition had worsened. 

Therese had been deep into writing in her journal and she was almost out of coffee. When she checked the time, she had been gone for almost an hour and decided to head back when she heard someone behind her.

“Hey, stranger.”

Therese turned around to find Carol standing there, in a wetsuit, holding a surfboard. The sight brought back memories of watching Carol surf. Therese would sit on the beach, the proud girlfriend of the star surfer.

“Hey.”

“You alone?” Carol looked around.

“Oh, yeah. I was just about to head back. Liz was still asleep when I left. I try not to leave her alone for too long.”

“Well, that’s understandable.”

“But she’s always told me that when the ocean speaks to me, I should go.”

“Really?” Carol seemed amused.

“Yep.” Therese shrugged.

“So, it was calling you this morning?”

“I guess it was. Not quite sure what it was calling me for, though.” Although, Therese was pretty sure that it was to run into Carol. Somehow, she kept popping back up into Therese’s life. “How was the rest of your visit with Rindy?”

“It went well.” Carol glowed when she spoke about her daughter. “I hated to see her leave, but hopefully, I’ll be seeing her again soon.”

“She’s grown so much since I’ve seen her last.”

“Since I’ve seen her, too. I already miss her so much, but it was nice to be with her outside of visiting hours at prison.” Carol shrugged and looked around like she was looking for something or someone. “Anyway, whenever you want that refresher, just let me know.”

“Oh, sure.”

“I’ll have to check my schedule now since I finally have a job.”

“Oh wow, that’s great! So, where are you working?”

“I’m a surf instructor, if you can believe that,” Carol replied, grinning.

“Can’t say that I’m surprised.”

“I went down to Ronnie’s shop to get some wax for my board and he was excited to see me. Anyway, he offered me a job as an instructor. It’s not much, but it’s something I enjoy doing.”

“That’s great, Carol. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Carol looked over to the teenager approaching. “Anyway, my appointment is here, but I wanted to tell you that if you ever need any help with Liz, you can call me. I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Oh wow, thank you, but you don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I’d like to help in any way that I can.”

“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” Therese was genuinely surprised at the offer. She wasn’t expecting it and was grateful for any help that she could get. She wasn’t about to let help go easily. “Well, I should be going. Have fun out there.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

It had been two weeks since Carol offered to help Therese with Liz. She wasn’t sure what came over her when she made the offer, but she knew that if she was in Therese’s position, she’d be grateful for any help that she could get. 

Carol had just returned home when there was a knock on the door. She was surprised to find Therese standing there and even more surprised that she found her to be extremely adorable in a set of hospital scrubs.

“Everything okay?” Carol asked when she saw the concerned look on her face.

“Yeah … well, no. I hate to ask, but the person who’s supposed to stay at the house with Liz tonight can’t make it …”

“Say no more,” Carol interrupted. “Just let me get a few things and I’ll be over.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I really do hate to ask.”

“I told you before that I don’t mind.”

“Thank you so much,” Therese said with a sigh. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. I’ll be right over.”

Carol went to her room to grab some things along with her bag. She told her mother where she’d be and her mother told her to grab the brownies on the counter for Liz. She still hadn’t asked her about her recent weed brownie business. When she got to Therese’s, the front door was open and the screen door unlocked. She heard Liz telling Therese that she’d be fine and that she would be able to spend the night on her own. Carol knocked on the door and Therese called for her to come in.

“I don’t feel okay about you being here alone. Carol said that she doesn’t mind. Don’t fight me on this,” Therese said, sternly. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Liz replied and Carol couldn’t help but to chuckle.

“You see what I have to deal with?” Therese asked with a grin. “She’s still feisty. Most people that I’ve seen with cancer aren’t feisty.”

“Most people aren’t me,” Liz said.

Liz was lying on the couch and Therese knelt down in front of her. “Be good for her tonight,” Therese said, softly as she stroked her hair. “I’ll get a full report in the morning.”

“I promise I’ll be on my best behavior, Nurse Ratched.”

“Ha ha,” Therese replied sarcastically.

Carol enjoyed the banter between the two of them. Liz really was a feisty thing and Carol liked her even more for it. When Therese was saying goodbye, Carol went to the kitchen to give them a minute alone, not wanting to interrupt a private moment. They clearly loved each other and Carol hated to feel jealous that she didn’t have that with someone. Maybe she’d never had that with anyone? That wasn’t true; she’d had it one time in her life.

“Help yourself to anything,” Therese said, pulling Carol from her thoughts. “There's food in the fridge. You’re welcome to eat or drink whatever you want. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“You really need to stop thanking me.”

“Okay, I’ll try,” she said with a rueful smile. “I should be home around seven thirty.”

“Okay.”

They said their goodbyes and Carol locked the door. Carol knew that it might be a little awkward to be there alone with Liz, but awkward or not, she wanted to be friends. 

“Oh, I almost forgot. My mother sent over brownies.”

“Would you mind bringing me one?” Liz asked, excitedly.

“Sure.”

“You want one?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, why not. Unless you’re not allowed.”

“No, I can … but god, I haven’t had one in years.”

“We’ll get high together. It’ll be fun.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t be shy about the one that you cut for me. I’m used to it, but you might want to start small for yourself. Weed isn’t what it used to be.”

Carol laughed to herself, surprised at what she was about to do. It had been at least twenty years since she last gotten high. Fuck it, what did she have to lose? She served her time and she was out with zero restrictions on her. It surprised her that she didn’t have to serve probation or parole, but because of a mistake - more like a ridiculous fuck up by the court - she was free. Hell, they even paid her for their mistake and sent her on her way.

She cut a small brownie for herself and a bigger one for Liz. She also grabbed two water bottles from the refrigerator and took everything into the living room. Liz was still lying down, clearly still in pain. They toasted to their adventure for the night. Carol sat down and waited, unsure of how long it would take for the weed to kick in. They sat in comfortable silence, watching tv for a while.

“Does it always hurt?” Carol heard herself asking Liz.

“What, the cancer?”

“Yeah.”

“No, not always. Some days are better than others.”

“Are you scared of dying?”

“No. I’m more scared of leaving Therese. I know that she won’t be alone, but she’ll take it hard. She pretends to be so strong and she is, but I know that she cries in the shower.”

“Can’t blame her, though, for crying in the shower. Hell, I’d probably be crying constantly.”

“Well, this is the saddest conversation in history,” Liz said with a smirk.

“I’m sorry,” Carol replied with a chuckle.

“It’s okay, people get curious.” Liz sat up and stretched. “How are you feeling?”

“Strange.”

“Good, that means it’s working.”

Carol stared at the television, wondering what they were saying. She could hear it, but none of the words were making any sense to her. She shook her head and looked over at Liz, who was giggling.

“You’re high, aren’t you?”

“I think so. Weed is a lot different than I remember.”

“I told you it’s not the same as it used to be. Why don’t we go out back? It’s fun out there when you’re high.”

Carol helped Liz out to the back deck and they both sat down on the futon. The crashing of the ocean waves sounded even better tonight. They seemed louder, closer. Carol was keenly aware of every noise outside; the wind, the buzzing of mosquitoes, crickets chirping. She was completely lost in the sounds of nature.

“Do you love Therese?” 

The question caught Carol off guard. She looked over at Liz, unsure if she just spoke or if she heard the question in her mind. Did she love Therese? She’d always loved Therese. There was never a time in her life when she couldn’t remember not loving Therese. 

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s not that. I wasn’t entirely sure that you even asked that question or if it was all in my mind.”

Liz laughed uncontrollably at that and it made Carol laugh. After their fits of laughter, Carol finally got her thoughts together.

“I think I’ve always loved her in some way or another,” Carol finally answered. “She’s easy to love.”

“That’s certainly true. I fell for her almost right away, but I resisted being with her.”

“Why?”

“I had never been with a woman and the feelings that I had for her scared the shit out of me. I was thirty-three and hadn’t had many great relationships. I could never figure out why it never worked for me with men. Then one day, I met Therese and it all started to make sense. I had never felt that for a man, let alone a woman. It was terrifying.”

“So, what happened?”

“We were friends at first and one day she asked me out. I turned her down, claiming that I wasn’t gay. She backed off a bit, but I think she was just letting me work out everything on my own. She always made it clear that if I ever changed my mind, her offer was always on the table. Then one day, I just quit lying to myself about the way that I felt about her. We were both getting off work one night and walking to our cars. I walked her to hers and I just asked her if I could kiss her. I was so scared that she was going to say yes, even though I knew she would …” Liz stopped and looked over at Carol.

“Well?” Carol asked impatiently and Liz laughed. “I’m dying to know what happened. You can’t leave me hanging.”

“I’m tired of sitting up. How about we put down this futon and I’ll finish the story.”

Carol moved the futon down and helped Liz lie down. She decided to get them some snacks before hearing the rest of the story.

“So? What happened?” Carol asked after they were settled. She and Liz were staring up at the stars through the glass ceiling.

“She leaned over and kissed me.”

“What did it feel like for you?”

“Oh my god, it was incredible. There were so many emotions running through me at the time. I thought I was going to be sick.”

“I understand that.”

“Was that how it was for you? The first time you kissed a woman?”

“I suppose. Or it could just be Therese.” Carol laughed, thinking about the first time they had kissed. She understood exactly what Liz was describing.

“Oh? Is that how it was when you kissed Therese?”

“Yep. It was … magical.”

“You were in love with her?”

“Yeah, I was. I regret leaving her, but I guess everything happens for a reason.”

“Well, it worked out for me that you left her. I can’t say that I’m happy the two of you stayed together,” Liz said with a laugh.

“I’ll bet!” Carol smiled at her new friend. “I’m happy that she found you. It’s good to know that she was able to move on. I know that she wasn’t in a good place after I left.”

“We’re all capable of …”

When Liz didn’t finish her sentence, Carol looked over to see that she had fallen asleep. 

_What a weird night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How can you not love Liz?!


	6. Chapter 6

Carol felt someone shaking her awake. She looked over to find Therese had knelt down beside her. She quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked over to see Liz next to her. The events of the previous night came back to her and she remembered falling asleep on the back deck not long after Liz had fallen asleep.

“Good morning,” Therese whispered.

“Hey,” Carol replied and Therese put her finger to her mouth, indicating for Carol to be quiet.

“I don’t want to wake her,” Therese whispered. “You want some coffee?”

“Please,” Carol replied and gently climbed out of the futon. She followed Therese into the kitchen. “Wow, I slept like a log.”

“I’m sure you did,” Therese said with a grin. “She get you high?”

“Yeah. Shit, I haven’t been high in years.”

“She loves to get everyone high.” Therese shrugged and handed a cup of coffee to Carol. “There’s creamer in the fridge.”

“Thanks.” Carol fixed her coffee and enjoyed the effect that it was having on her. “Does she fall asleep out there a lot?”

“Yeah, she likes to sleep out there.”

“I fucking passed out,” Carol said, laughing. “How long have you been home?” Carol asked, noticing that she had changed.

“Not long. I saw that the two of you were fast asleep and decided to take a quick shower.”

“Do you work tonight?”

“No, I don’t.”

“If you want to get some sleep, I’ll stay. I don’t work today and I don’t have anything to do.” Carol felt bad since Therese had looked so tired.

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. You’ve done more than enough already.”

“Really? I got high with your wife and passed out. I haven’t really done anything.”

“But you don’t know what it means to be able to count on you for that. I really do appreciate it.” 

Carol was surprised when she saw Therese wiping away tears. Without thinking, Carol quickly made it over to Therese and pulled her into a hug. Therese never pulled away, but seemed to enjoy the contact. 

“It’s okay, I’m here for you,” she whispered. “You okay?”

Therese pulled back and wiped her tears away. “Sometimes, it’s just really difficult to deal with everything. I try to keep it together and not cry in front of her, but then something like help from someone just sends me into a crying fit.”

Carol handed her some tissues from the counter. “I think a breakdown from you is understandable. You’re going through a lot and it’s not easy. You know, you don’t always have to be so strong. You’re only human.”

“I suppose.”

“Hey, why don’t you go try to get some sleep and when Liz wakes up, I’ll fix her something to eat. I’ll stay until you wake up.”

“Carol, you really don’t …”

“Stop. I don’t mind. Go get some sleep. You need it.”

“Okay … thank you.”

* * *

When Therese woke up - hours later - she heard laughing coming from downstairs. It made her smile, knowing that Carol and Liz were enjoying each other’s company. She was beyond grateful to Carol for everything that she had done in the last day. It was nice to have Carol back in her life and it was surprisingly easy to get along with her.

Therese never thought that she’d be friends with Carol again, let alone have the woman in her house, be friends with her wife and spend the night. Having Carol back in her life had been odd at first, but she was enjoying their new friendship.

“What is so funny down here?” Therese asked when she walked into the living room.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” Liz said. “Carol and I were talking about how high she was last night. Did you sleep well?”

“I did.” Therese smiled. “Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” she asked when she sat down next to Liz.

“You needed the sleep,” Carol replied.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Therese asked.

“As much as I would love to, I _do_ have somewhere I need to be.”

“Oh yeah? Hot date?” Liz asked.

“Not really a date …”

“Oh, a booty call, huh?”

“Liz!” Therese scolded. “It’s none of your business.”

“A girl’s gotta get it somewhere, right?” Liz raised her eyebrows at Carol.

“Eh, I suppose.”

Therese couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous and she didn’t know if it was because Carol would be having sex and she hadn’t had sex in way too long or because it wasn’t with her. Sure, she was attracted to Carol. How couldn’t she be? Carol was beyond sexy without even realizing it. Therese had had multiple flashes of Carol in that wetsuit since that day that she saw her at the beach. Therese shook her head; she needed to get those thoughts of Carol out of her mind.

“Well, if she doesn’t feed you, you can always stop by for the food … and the weed,” Liz said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Therese thanked Carol again before she left and went to the kitchen to fix dinner. Truth was, she couldn’t stand to be next to Liz when her thoughts had floated to a naked Carol. She knew what that body looked like underneath those clothes and unfortunately for her, she could conjure those thoughts whenever she wanted.

“You okay?” Liz called from the living room.

“Yeah, just hungry. Do you need anything?”

“A brownie would be nice.”

“Coming right up.”

* * *

“Hey, you.”

“Hey,” Carol said, standing at Fiona’s door. “You look … nice.” Carol looked her up and down and Fiona looked more than nice. “Are you not wearing anything under that robe?”

“Guilty. What’s the point of wearing clothes when I’m only going to be naked right after you get here?” Fiona pulled Carol into the house and untied her robe, letting it fall to the floor.

“Jesus,” Carol breathed out.

“Like what you see?”

“Mmhmm.” Carol smirked and ran a hand along the soft skin of Fiona’s stomach. “Nothing like getting right down to business.”

“I’m too old to play games. We both know why you’re here.”

Fiona took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. Fiona told her to undress and lie down on the bed. Carol quickly complied; easily aroused and ready for Fiona. She watched as the older woman pulled out some restraints from a drawer.

“You want to restrain me, huh?”

“Only if you want.”

“I don’t mind.”

Fiona straddled her on the bed and began to tie Carol’s wrists.

“That’s one thing that I love about you, you know that. You’re always ready for anything,” she said, seductively.

“I like to be adventurous.”

“If this bothers you, just tell me,” she said, softly. “I don’t want to bring up any bad memories or anything.”

“It’s okay as long as you’re here,” Carol reassured her, stroking her thigh with her free hand. “Just don’t leave me and I’ll be okay.”

“I promise I won’t.”

Once she had both of Carol’s hands restrained, Fiona kissed her softly. Her mouth slowly made it down to Carol’s neck, leaving featherlight kisses while her hands roamed Carol’s body. Her hand gently stroked Carol’s thighs as her mouth sucked hungrily on Carol’s breasts. 

Carol’s eyes were closed when she felt a hand lightly stroking her pussy. A flash of Therese came into view as she felt Fiona opening her swollen lips. She tried to think about the woman whose hands were on her, but Therese had been occupying so much of her mind lately that she wasn’t surprised to find her showing up at that moment. Oh, who was she kidding? She had been masturbating to images of Therese for over a week - of course Therese would show up in her mind right now.

“You okay?” she heard Fiona’s voice and opened her eyes.

“Oh yeah. Sorry. I think I was in my head a little bit.”

“Do you want to stop?”

“Hell no. Please don’t stop.” Fiona looked at her for a minute, looking as though she wanted to stop. Carol knew that she wanted to say something. “What?” Carol asked.

“Are you thinking about her?”

“Who?”

“Therese.”

Carol turned her head, unable to look into Fiona’s eyes. “How’d you know?”

“Sweetheart,” Fiona said, caressing Carol’s cheek and turning Carol to face her. “Therese has come up quite a bit in our conversations lately. I’m not surprised and truthfully, I don’t care if you think about her when I fuck you. I don’t want you to be embarrassed. We both know what this is between us. I’ve never given you an impression that I want more from you and the same goes for you.” Fiona leaned down and kissed her softly. “I don’t care what’s going through your mind when I fuck you. Whatever works to make you come, I’m happy with.”

“Okay,” Carol replied, feeling at ease.

“Now, where was I … oh, right. I think I was right here,” she said as slipped two fingers inside Carol.

“Oh fuck,” Carol breathed out.

Fiona pulled her wet fingers out, stroking the length of Carol’s pussy before inserting them again. She continued the same action over and over again, teasing Carol, making her pussy throb harder in the process.

“You’re killing me.” 

Carol struggled to breathe, but she had to admit that it felt too good to stop. Fiona pulled out her fingers and brought them up to Carol’s mouth.

“Suck,” she said with such authority that Carol wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand not having a release. Fiona was sexy when she was in charge. Dominance was her forté and Carol complied, vigorously sucking Fiona’s wet fingers. “You’ve always tasted so delicious,” she whispered into Carol’s ear.

Carol was excited to see her moving down to the one place that she desperately needed her. Carol’s hips jerked when she felt her tongue stroking her slit. Fiona pushed open Carol’s legs wider and Carol waited in anticipation.

She swallowed hard, watching Fiona lower her mouth to her pussy. This time, Fiona didn’t stop. She swirled her tongue around Carol’s clit while her fingers gently pushed inside. The movements were slow at first and Carol found it frustrating, not being able to touch her. But Fiona quickly picked up the pace, fucking Carol faster while sucking her clit. It didn’t take long for Carol to topple over the edge, sweating and panting. Fiona quickly released Carol’s wrists after her orgasm.

“Fuck, that was good.” Carol tried to catch her breath.

“Just good?” she asked with a smirk.

“You know what I mean. It was incredible, as usual.”

Carol wasn’t fully recovered from her orgasm when she pushed Fiona on her back and reciprocated the orgasm. Sex with Fiona was always fun and no longer did they have to rush, but Carol couldn’t wait to get her mouth on Fiona again. Who didn’t like to have sex with a beautiful woman?

“So, what was so important that you couldn’t make it over last night?” Fiona asked when they were downstairs, eating a peach pie that Fiona had made.

“Oh well, Therese needed someone to stay with Liz last night and she asked me.”

“Oh yeah? Was that awkward?”

“Not like I thought it would be. Liz got me high with my mother’s weed brownies,” Carol said, laughing.

“Oh my god. You got high and your mother makes weed brownies?”

“I know. The entire thing is crazy. Anyway, it was a good night.”

“Mmhmm.” Fiona gave her a smirk and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Getting closer to Therese, huh?”

“Oh stop. I’m just trying to help her out and be a friend. Besides that, her wife is dying.”

“I’m not saying that you’re going to try to go after her while Liz is still alive, or that your trying to go after her at all. It just seems like the two of you are getting close.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, darling, it’s not.”

“I don’t think that anything would ever happen between Therese and I anyway. I think that would be too weird. I’m pretty sure she’s still not over what happened with us.”

“You’re friends, though.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“And she said that she forgave you.”

“Yeah.”

“So … don’t overthink your friendship with her. If she didn’t want you in her life, you wouldn’t be there.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Carol conceded.

“I’m always right.”

Carol smiled and leaned over to kiss Fiona. “Of course you are.”


	7. Chapter 7

Carol had an easy day with nothing planned and decided to work on some more painting. It was one of the few things that kept her going in prison. Before being locked up, Carol never thought twice about painting, but she had desperately needed something to occupy her time and took an art class while she was still inside. So once she was free, it was something to help her transition and keep her mind occupied while still trying to figure out her new life. Her mother had even helped her turn the spare room into a workspace for painting. 

Once Carol had starting painting, she realized that she had so much creativity in her that she needed to get out. She enjoyed getting lost in the colors and painting whatever she felt like. 

When she and Liz were getting to know each other, Carol had told her about her painting and Liz was curious to see some of her work. Carol assured her that she would bring some paintings over for her, but today she wanted to paint something for Liz. 

Liz’s condition was getting worse and Carol had been spending more time with her. She enjoyed the fact that Therese had been counting on her to stay with Liz. Her friendship with Therese was blossoming in a way that Carol hadn’t expected, but she was enjoying it. 

When Carol started on the canvas, she wasn’t sure where the paint would take her, but she was sure that she’d capture Liz’s personality somehow. Liz was extremely positive about facing death and Carol couldn’t understand how anyone could have such a great attitude in that situation. Then again, she wondered how she would feel in that situation and couldn’t fathom how she’d feel. She thought back to how she felt when she first went into prison and how difficult it was at first until she decided to accept it and make the most of it. Going to prison and staring death in the face were two different situations, but until put into those positions, no one really knows what they’d do. Carol truly admired Liz’s positivity about her situation. She envied Liz’s outlook on life and her ability to not take herself too seriously. 

Carol was deep into her painting, not realizing the time, when she heard a knock on the door. She turned around, not expecting to see Therese standing there. She had never shown Therese any of her paintings and it felt strange for her to be standing there, looking around the room at Carol’s work. It was almost as if she was staring into a piece of Carol’s soul.

“Hello,” Carol greeted her. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Wow,” Therese said, looking around the room. “I remember you telling me that you painted, but I had no idea you were so … incredible at it.”

“Thanks,” Carol said, almost embarrassed. “It’s really just a hobby.”

“I’m serious,” Therese said as she walked over to look closer at the paintings. “These are _amazing_ , Carol. I didn’t know you had this kind of talent.”

“I don’t know if it’s talent, but I enjoy it. I picked it up in prison and I really haven’t been able to stop since.”

Carol watched with a wary eye as Therese looked at a painting that Carol had done with Therese in mind. She hoped that Therese wouldn’t be able to decipher the abstract that she was the inspiration for. 

“I hope I didn’t interrupt you. Your mother let me in.” Therese turned to face Carol. “Have you been painting all day?”

“Not all day, but I’ve been painting for a while.”

“What are you painting now?” Therese asked as she came over to study the canvas of Carol’s current painting.

“An abstract. It’s for Liz.”

“I figured.” Therese smiled brightly. “It reminds me of her. You’ve captured her personality well.”

“Thank you.”

“She’ll love it.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I do. She loves art, always has. It’s one of the things I love about her.”

“What about you?” Carol asked.

“What about me?”

“Do you love art?”

“Yeah, I do. But I don’t have the eye for it that Liz does. Everything that’s hung in the house is all Liz. She picked out all of it.” Therese shrugged. “I can’t complain because she has pretty good taste.”

“She does. I enjoy the art in your house.”

“Thank you.”

“So, did you just come over here to look at my paintings?”

“Oh,” Therese said, looking adorably shy. “No, I actually came over because your mother told me that she had more brownies for Liz. I thought I’d come say hello.”

“Oh,” Carol said, laughing. “She loves those brownies, doesn’t she?”

“That, she does.” Therese stood there, quietly looking at Carol’s painting for Liz. “She’s getting worse. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have her,” she said, quietly.

“I’m sorry, Therese. I wish I could change your situation.” She took Therese’s hand in her own. “You know I’m here for you, right? Whatever you need.”

“I know.” Therese nodded. “Thank you.”

“Is she close with her family?”

“No. They’re extremely religious and when she and I got together, they pretty much disowned her.”

“Oh my god, that’s terrible. Do they know that she’s sick?”

“They know.”

“That’s bullshit that they don’t care enough to want to see her.”

“It’s their loss.” Therese shrugged. “They’re horrible people anyway. She doesn’t need their negativity around her.”

“That’s certainly true.” 

Therese took a deep breath. “Are you almost finished with that?” she asked, nodding toward the painting.

“Oh. Yeah, I was just putting the finishing touches on it.”

“You should bring it over. I think she’ll like it.”

“I can do that.”

“I don’t know what you have planned for tonight, but you’re welcome to come over for dinner … if you want. I mean, I’m sure you probably have plans or something.”

Her nervousness was too adorable for Carol to handle. She wanted to grab ahold of her and never let go. _Stop thinking like that, Carol. You’re friends. End of story._ Still, Therese was too cute in her bashfulness.

“I don’t have any plans.”

“Really? No booty call tonight?” she asked with a grin.

“Wow, first Liz, now you? I expect it from Liz, but _you_?”

“I’m just messing with you. But you _are_ welcome to come over.”

“Should I expect to spend the night again?”

“Don’t you always?” she asked with a smirk.

“You got me there. Just let me finish up and grab a few things and then I’ll be over. Should I bring anything?”

“Just that painting. I have an excellent bottle of wine that I’m dying to open. I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind sharing it with me.”

“I’d love to.”

* * *

Therese was right that Liz would love the painting. Unfortunately, she was also right that Liz’s condition was getting worse. It had only been a few days since Carol had last seen her, but it was evident that Liz’s days were numbered. 

Liz barely ate anything and told Therese that she wanted to lie down on the deck. Carol told Therese that she’d clean up and that she wanted her to be out there with Liz. Carol was going to do whatever she could so that Therese and Liz could spend as much time together as possible. She had already texted Ronnie, the owner of the surf shop, to tell him the situation and that she wouldn’t be able to work for a while. Ronnie was extremely understanding and he and Carol had known each other for a long time. He told her to take all the time that she needed. Carol was grateful to him for that.

Once she cleaned up all the dishes from dinner, she opened the bottle of wine and poured a glass for Therese and herself. She didn’t hear them talking anymore and she figured that Liz was probably asleep. Carol decided to run upstairs while Therese was still outside and run a bath for her. She left a glass of wine on the side of the bathtub for her.

“Taking a bath?” she heard Therese asking from the doorway.

“Oh … no. I ran it for you. I thought you might like to relax a bit.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know. I figured Liz was probably asleep and thought you’d like a few minutes alone. I’ll stay outside with Liz.”

Therese didn’t say anything, only hung her head as she started to cry. There was no more awkwardness between them and Carol took her in her arms, comforting her as she sobbed.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she said, softly. 

“I thought I was prepared for this,” Therese replied.

“You’ll never be prepared to lose the woman you love.” The irony of the situation and those words was not lost on Carol in that moment. How strange it was that Carol was the one comforting Therese because she was about to lose the love of her life.

She finally convinced Therese to take a bath and take her time. Therese was rundown and it was starting to show. Her entire life had revolved around taking care of Liz that Carol wondered if she was taking care of herself.

When Carol went to sit with Liz, she was surprised to find Liz awake and smiling. Carol couldn’t help but smile at Liz; she was such a happy woman with a bright personality even when her days were numbered.

“Is she okay?” Liz asked.

“No. But she’s taking a bath. I convinced her to relax a bit and gave her a glass of wine. I hope she doesn’t fall asleep in there,” Carol said with a laugh.

“She won’t - she’s too worried about me.”

“That’s absolutely true.”

“I wish she wouldn’t worry so much.”

“I think she just wants to spend as much time with you as she can. She’s scared of losing you is all. I can’t say I blame her. I hate that I’m going to lose you when we just became such good friends.”

“I feel the same way,” Liz said with a smile. “Could I ask you something?” Liz said after a long silence.

“Anything.”

“Will you look after her? I know you love her and if anyone’s going to look after her, I’d rather it would be you.”

“I will,” Carol promised.

“You’re the only one that I trust to take care of her. No one else loves her the way that I do except for you.”

“Oh, I don’t know about …”

“Stop,” Liz interrupted. “I’m not angry that you love her. Don’t deny that you feel that way about her. I see it in your eyes.” Liz smiled warmly. “It makes me happy to know that you’ll be there for her. Besides that,” Liz took a breath and continued. “If she’s going to be with anyone after me, I’d rather it be you.”

Carol wasn’t as good as Therese at hiding her tears. Therese cried when she wasn’t around Liz, but Carol wasn’t used to dealing with this the way that Therese was. She apologized for crying, but Liz waved it off and told her that she was only human.

“She’s going to fight my help at first,” Carol said after composing herself.

“She will,” Liz agreed. “But don’t give up.”

“I won’t. I can be pretty persistent, too.”

Liz laughed and closed her eyes; the short conversation was exhausting her energy and Carol let her fall asleep. She sat, drinking her wine and listening to the sounds of the night and the crashing of the waves. Carol almost hoped that when Liz passed, it would be out here, at night because she knew how much she loved it out there and how peaceful it was for her.

“Is she asleep?” Therese whispered.

“She is.”

Therese climbed in beside Liz and covered up the both of them. Carol smiled as she watched them and her conversation with Liz was still fresh in her mind. Was she really that obvious about her love for Therese? Did Liz see that she was in love with Therese? Was she in love with Therese? Jesus, her mind was reeling.

Carol went inside to change and lock up the house. She readied the couch for her to sleep, not wanting to be far from Liz or Therese. 

“Where’d you go?” Therese asked when Carol went out back to say goodnight.

“Just had to change and get the couch ready. But I just wanted to come out and say goodnight.”

“You don’t want to sleep out here? There’s plenty of room.” There really was plenty of room for Carol sleep with them; the three of them had actually slept out there together before. But she didn’t want Therese to feel obligated and she didn’t want to infringe on what could possibly be Therese’s last night with her wife.

“Oh, I don’t want to impose on the two of you. You both look so comfortable and I don’t want to ruin your moment with her. I’ll be right inside if you need me.”

“Carol?”

“Hmm?”

“Please?” Therese begged.

_How the hell can I say “no” to that?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, Liz looking out for Therese 😭


	8. Chapter 8

Therese knew that Liz’s days were numbered and each day became even more difficult than the last, but she tried her best to stay positive and cherish the time that she had left with her. Carol had become an enormous help and Therese hadn’t expected for her to take time off of work so that Therese could just be with Liz, but it was comforting to have her there.

The three of them were currently at the beach because Liz had insisted on seeing Carol surf at least once before she died. So they carefully helped get Liz settled in and Carol went to the waves while Therese and Liz sat and watched. Therese could never get tired of watching Carol doing what she loved and did best.

“You like watching her, don’t you?” Liz asked.

“She’s an excellent surfer,” Therese replied with a smile. “I do like watching her. She’s a natural out there.”

“Yes, she is. I’m glad you both brought me down here.”

“Are you okay? Are you too cold?” Therese asked, trying to adjust Liz’s blanket.

“Stop fussing, I’m fine. Well, except the fact that I’m about to die,” Liz said with a smirk. “But I’m fine.”

Therese looked out at the ocean, trying to focus on Carol instead of the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. Liz was more than accepting with her situation, but Therese was struggling with the very real fact that it wouldn’t be much longer until she would no longer have her wife.

“You’re allowed to cry, you know,” Liz said while taking her hand.

With that, the tears came and Therese couldn’t stop them no matter how hard she tried. Why did she always feel the need to show Liz her strength?

“Oh my god, are those actual tears?” Liz asked with a sarcastic tone that made Therese laugh.

“Shut up, smartass,” Therese replied.

“I can’t believe you’re allowing me to see you cry. Usually, it’s just sniffles that I hear coming from the shower, but this is actually a relief.”

“Why? Because I’m a blubbering mess?”

“No, because I get to actually see that you’re going to miss me.”

“Oh, stop it. You know I will.”

“I know, I know. Just trying to make light of the situation.”

“How can you feel so okay with what’s happening?” It really didn’t make sense to Therese that Liz could be so calm.

“Because I’ve had a lot of time to process the fact that I won’t make it to forty-five. And who the hell wants to sit around for the rest of their short life being fucking miserable? All it would do is make you and everyone else around me miserable, too. Plus, I get to get high all the time. How can anyone be miserable when they’re high?”

“That makes sense. It’s just difficult for me, that’s all.”

“I know, darling. But I also know that you’ll be fine.” Liz pulled Therese’s hand to her mouth to kiss it softly. “Besides, you have that incredibly gorgeous woman with a giant heart out there on the water who’s going to take care of you once I’m gone.”

“You don’t know that,” Therese said as she watched Carol expertly handling a wave. Would Carol be there for her? To take care of her? Did Therese even want that?

“I’m sure of it. She loves you and she won’t let you go through it alone.”

Therese didn’t know how to respond to that. She sat there, mute, as she watched the ocean. 

“Don’t push her away, Therese. I know you still harbor some bitter feelings about how things ended between the two of you, whether you want to admit it or not. But let her help you, okay? Don’t be stubborn on this.”

“Stubborn? Me?” Therese scoffed, but knew full well exactly what Liz was talking about. Therese could be stubborn at times and Liz never hesitated to call her out on it.

“Yes, you. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, love.”

“I know, I know.”

“Don’t make me make you promise. You know you can’t deny a dying woman.”

“Fine.”

Carol had already been so much help that Therese didn’t know how she’d be able to accept any more help from her after Liz’s death. She had already begun to feel so guilty for monopolizing all of Carol’s time, but it did feel really good to have her around. Not only for all the help at the house and with Liz, but to have someone to talk to and someone that she could let her guard down with. She wasn’t afraid to cry with Carol and that at least meant something to her.

But what was that that Liz said earlier? Did Carol love her? How could Liz possibly have known that? And how did that _really_ make her feel? _God, it’s too much to think about._ If Carol would be there to pick up all the pieces once Therese would fall apart, would she be able to accept the help and not push away the one woman who would be there for her? Too many questions that Therese didn’t have answers for.

Therese’s thoughts were interrupted by Carol walking toward them with her surfboard. She couldn’t help but notice the way that Carol’s suit hugged her slim curves. The dip at her waist, the flare of her hips … Therese felt her mouth go dry and swallowed hard.

“Are you drooling over there?” she heard Liz whisper.

“What?” Therese snapped her head towards Liz.

“Hey, ladies,” Carol said as she approached.

“You look awesome out there,” Liz replied. “It’s a shame I won’t get to see more of your surfing.”

“Trust me, watching a forty-three year old woman surf isn’t all that exciting,” Carol said as she sat down and grabbed a bottle of water.

“Well, I thought it was,” Liz replied. “I’m sure Therese thought it was exciting as well,” she said with a smirk.

“Is that so?” Carol asked, nudging Therese.

Therese only shrugged in response, completely out of her comfort zone. But she knew that Liz was only fishing for a response and Therese really didn’t feel like giving her that satisfaction.

“So, what’s next on the Death Tour?” Carol asked. That’s what Liz had lovingly referred to the few things she wanted to do before she died. Therese hated it and had tried to get her to call it something else.

“Do you two _have_ to call it that? It sounds so morbid.”

“Yes,” Carol and Liz both replied in unison.

“Nothing right now. I’m tired. Would you two mind taking me back?”

Once they got back to the house and helped Liz into bed, Carol told Therese to lie down with Liz and that she would take care of putting everything away. 

“You don’t have to do everything,” Therese told her.

“Nonsense. Go be with your wife. I’m here to make sure you don’t have to do any of this. I really don’t mind.”

Therese was going to try to take Liz’s advice of not being so stubborn, so she did what Carol told her to do and went to bed with Liz. Her naps were becoming more frequent and Therese had tried to be there with her for them. She liked to feel Liz against her and to know that she was comforting her in the process. Liz drifted into sleep and Therese thought about what a perfect day it had been so far. 

Therese tried to sleep, but couldn’t sleep that well. She only slept for half an hour and realized that she hadn’t really had a chance to thank Carol for all that she had done so far. She decided she needed to thank her. It also gave her an excuse to not lie there thinking about things that weren’t in her control.

She pulled herself out of the bed, trying not to wake Liz. She went to the spare bedroom that Carol had been staying in and knocked on the door. When she didn’t get a reply right away, she figured that Carol had been sleeping. It was only natural that she’d try to get some sleep while the two of them were sleeping. She’d been doing everything for them, so she had to be tired.

Therese turned to go back to her room when she heard the door open. She turned to find Carol standing in the doorway, hair dripping and only a towel covering her. The sight in front of her rendered her speechless. She knew what that body looked like under the towel and it conjured memories of a naked Carol. Therese felt like a fool, lusting after a woman when her wife was dying. 

“Everything all right?” Carol asked.

“Oh, yeah.” Therese shook the impure thoughts from her head. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You didn’t.”

“Well, I just wanted to say thanks for all your help. You really have no idea how much it means to me. You’ve been so much help, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“No need for repayment. We’re friends. I don’t mind helping.” Carol came over to Therese and reached for her hand. “How are you?” she asked, softly.

“Trying to hold it together and failing miserably,” Therese replied.

“Let me get dressed real quick and we can open a bottle of wine. How does that sound?”

“Like the best idea ever.”

“I’ll be downstairs in a minute.” Carol gave her hand a quick squeeze and went to her room to change. 

Therese checked on Liz before going downstairs. She opened a bottle of wine, pouring a glass for herself and drank it all down. Therese didn’t want to use alcohol as a coping mechanism, but at least it helped calm her nerves. She poured another glass for herself and one for Carol.

“Did you start without me?”

 _How can anyone make a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt look so good?_ Of course Carol could pull off that look. She was the type of woman that could make anything look good on her. Liz always had that ability as well; something that Therese envied about both women. They both did it so effortlessly.

“I did, but I needed it.”

“You don’t have to tell me. If anyone needs it, it’s you.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” Carol look confused by the question.

“Helping me … and Liz.”

Carol shrugged. “We’re friends. It’s what friends do. It’s what you do when you love people.”

“Are you saying that you love me?”

“Well, I’ve always loved you. That hasn’t changed. It’s just a different kind of love now. And I love Liz. Both of you are extremely important to me. I guess I also harbor some feelings of guilt when it comes to you. At first, it was a way to make it up to you for what happened between us, but I came to know Liz pretty well and you were so accepting of me that it began to feel like I didn’t owe you anything. I’m helping because I want to. I want to do what I can for both of you.”

Therese stood there, processing what Carol had just said. In her head, it made sense that Carol would feel obligated and she couldn’t blame her for that.

“So, to answer your question,” Carol continued when Therese didn’t say anything. “Yes, I love you. You’ve always been here,” Carol said, covering her heart with her hand. “I know what I did was shitty, but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t love you. That wasn’t why I left.”

“So, why did you leave?” Some alcohol in her system gave her false confidence to finally ask the question that she’d wondered about for fourteen years.

“I put it in the letter that I wrote. I mean, you know why I left.”

Therese stared at the ground. _That letter …_

“I never read the letter,” Therese admitted, finding it difficult to look at Carol. “I wanted to.” She glanced up at Carol and the woman in front of her looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“I need to sit down,” Carol said and pulled a chair from the table.

“I wanted to read it, but when I first got it, I was so angry. I put it away and said that I’d read it later, but later never came. The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to know what you had to say. You left and that was that.” Therese shrugged. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t know why you left.”

Carol took a deep breath. “Well then, it doesn’t matter anymore. It was mostly because of my father, anyway.” Therese heard the slight tremor in her voice. There was something that bothered Carol that Therese couldn’t figure out. “There was also something else in that letter, but now it all makes sense.”

“What do you mean?” Therese pulled up a chair next to her.

“There was an address written in the letter. An address to where I was. I had … asked you to come live with me. I regretted everything the minute I left and when I wrote that letter, I decided that I was going to be with you if you’d show up. But … you never did.” Carol took another deep, calming breath. “I don’t blame you, Therese. None of it was your fault. I only have myself to blame for that.”

“And your father.” Therese knew exactly the kind of man that Carol’s father was.

“No. It was my fault. I made the decision.”

“Carol, you were young. Whatever he said or did probably scared you enough to leave. I can only imagine that he gave you some sort of ultimatum and that’s not your fault. I wish you wouldn’t feel guilty about it.”

“I can’t help it,” Carol said as the tears that had been threatening to spill finally ran down her cheeks. “I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you the way that I did. You didn’t deserve that.”

“And you didn’t deserve for your father to be such an asshole, but sometimes we’re dealt shitty cards. That’s life, Carol. Sometimes, you can’t control the outcome. Do you really think that Liz wants to be in the situation that she’s in or that I want to be in the situation I’m in? Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“Would you have shown up?” Carol stared into Therese’s eyes, clearly desperate for an answer. Would she have? Of course. She would have followed Carol into hell if she’d asked her to. 

“Does it matter at this point?”

“I guess not.”

Therese reached out and wiped the tears from Carol’s cheek. “You’re in so much pain about this. Being with you was one of the best things to ever happen to me.”

“Even though I hurt you.”

“Yes. You taught me how to love. How to be loved and that sometimes the ones we love the most ending up hurting us the most in the end. There’s nothing wrong with that. I learned a lot of things from being with you. I’m grateful for the time that we had.”

“Really?” Carol’s bottom lip quivered and Therese put a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes. If I had to do it all over again, I would. Even though it hurt in the end, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Being with you was worth it. Wouldn’t you do it all over again?”

“I would.”

“Well, there you go.” Therese shrugged. “Okay, enough of this sad shit. Let’s get drunk.”

“Sounds good to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're all in agreement that we'll miss Liz, right? How amazing is she?!


	9. Chapter 9

Carol wasn’t exactly sure how she’d ever be able to let go of the guilt that she felt for leaving Therese that day. Talking to Therese about it, finally having a real discussion about it seemed to alleviate some of the burden for her. And she wasn’t lying when she told Therese that she still loved her and always had. The truth was that the love that she felt for Therese was the same as it always had been. Even though she told her that it was a different kind of love now, and it had been a white lie for Therese’s benefit, she couldn’t lie to herself. She had always held onto the love that she had for her. 

Carol had tried plenty over the years to get over her feelings for Therese. Marrying a man and having a child with him, relationships with other women. None of it worked. She always tried to feel for them what she felt for Therese and it never happened. They all paled in comparison to Therese.

It was a shock to learn that Therese never read her letter. She’d always assumed that Therese hated her for leaving and decided that she didn’t want anything to do with her. She certainly couldn’t blame her if that’s what happened, but to learn that she hadn’t even read it somewhat made her feel a little better. When Carol had asked her if she would have shown up, and Therese didn’t answer, she already knew the answer. She knew that Therese would have packed up and followed her in a heartbeat. It was still information that she needed to process, but this wasn’t the time for all of that. Not when Liz’s health was fading and Therese was trying to cope with losing her. Carol needed to stay focused for them and she knew she could.

“Do you think she’s comfortable over there?” Therese asked, pulling Carol back to reality.

They were all on the back deck and Liz was sleeping peacefully. Carol looked over at her in the dark.

“I think she’s fine. If she wasn’t, you’d know it.”

“I just want her to be comfortable.”

“I know you do. So do I. She’ll be fine until the end. I can promise you that. I’ll see to it myself.” Therese looked worn out. The fact that they were on their third bottle of wine didn’t help. “Aren’t we a fine bunch? Your wife was high as kite before she passed out and we’ve turned into lushes tonight,” Carol said with a chuckle that made Therese laugh.

“I’d say we’re entitled to it,” Therese replied, smiling.

“I’ll drink to that.” It was good to see Therese smile and hear her laugh. She’d done so much crying in the last few days and Carol didn’t mind being her shoulder to cry on, but hearing her laugh was music to Carol’s ears. “I do need to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For having that conversation a little bit ago. You know, about me leaving and all that. I really do appreciate it.”

“Well, I’d say it was a long time coming.”

“Very true.”

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while. Carol enjoyed the sounds of the waves. It was all so calming and peaceful and Carol decided that if she was in Liz’s position, this is how she’d want to go: lulled to sleep by the sound of waves crashing.

“You should go to sleep,” Carol said when she looked over at Therese, who looked beyond exhausted. “Go on, lie down with her. I’m going to sleep on the couch right inside in case you need me.”

“You’re welcome to stay out here.”

“No, that’s okay. You sleep with her. Enjoy your time with her.” Carol stood up behind Therese and placed her hands on her shoulder. She leaned down and kissed her softly on the top of her head. “Try to get some rest. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

* * *

Carol felt someone nudging her awake and then realized it was Therese. She slowly opened her eyes to the blinding sun.

“Carol,” Therese whispered.

“I’m awake.” She sat up. “What’s wrong?” Carol looked at Therese, who only stared down at the floor. “What is it? Is it Liz?” Therese only nodded in response. “Is she okay?”

Therese looked up at her and started crying and Carol pulled her onto the couch with her. She held onto her as Therese became racked with sobs. Carol dreaded this moment. Not for herself, but for Therese. As prepared as Therese had claimed to be for this moment, there was no way to prepare for losing Liz. Carol cried along with her, not only for herself, but for Therese. 

After a few minutes, Therese’s sobs subsided and she pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. She reached for the tissues and handed some to Carol.

“Are you sure she’s …” Carol couldn’t finish her question.

“Mmhmm. I checked and double checked. I’m a nurse; I know when someone’s gone.”

“Okay. I’ll call for an ambulance. You stay here.”

“The non-emergency number’s on the fridge.”

After Carol made the call, she got some water for Therese and they sat in silence. Carol wanted to ask what funeral plans there were, if any, but decided against it. There would be time for all of that later. She also wasn’t sure what Therese’s mental state was; everyone took death differently, especially when it was a spouse.

When the ambulance came, Carol answered the door. Although Carol was shattered by Liz’s death, now was the time for her to be strong. To be the one to help Therese through all of it and do everything that she could for her.

When she answered the door, she was met with a very familiar face that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Danny?” Carol asked. She remembered him from years ago. He was one of Therese’s best friends at the time.

“Carol? Is that you?” He stood there in full EMT uniform.

“In the flesh.”

“Therese told me that you’d been helping her with Liz. Glad to see she has you back.” Danny gave her a sad smile. “How is she?”

“I think she’s in shock. She hasn’t said much.”

“I hate that I haven’t been around. It’s difficult with a new baby and all.” He looked extremely apologetic. “Where’s Liz?” he asked softly.

“Out back.”

“Well, I guess we need to get this over with. If you don’t mind, it would probably be a good idea to get Therese out of eyesight.”

“Say no more.”

Carol took Therese upstairs while the EMTs removed Liz’s body from the house. Danny made his way to Therese’s bedroom. He made it over to Therese, sitting on the side of the bed.

“Hey, Danny,” she said, quietly.

“Hey, slugger. How are you?”

At least that got a small chuckle from Therese. He put his arm around her and held her for a minute.

“Oh you know, terrible.”

“We’re going to take care of her. You know that, right?”

“I know.”

“You know you can call me if you need me.”

“I know. Thank you, Danny.”

“Everybody down there is only a call away. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Carol figured that Therese had to have been close with the EMTs from working at the hospital. Then it hit her that they probably all knew Liz as well since she had worked at the same hospital.

“I should head out, but call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He gave her one last hug and nodded at Carol. Once they left, Therese didn’t move. Carol sat down next to her, not really sure if she should say anything. What could she say? There was nothing that she could say or do to take away the pain. Therese rested her head on Carol’s shoulder and Carol decided that the only thing that she _could_ to help was hold her. 

“Is it wrong that I feel relieved?” Therese asked.

“No, of course not. She was suffering and it’s only natural for you to want her to be at peace.”

“What am I going to do without her?” The question was followed by a mountain of tears that Therese couldn’t seem to control.

“You’ll keep on living your life and I’ll be right here with you.”

“It seems so unfair.”

“I know.”

Therese wasn’t wrong; life could be unfair and cruel that way. At times, Carol had wished she could take Liz’s place so that Therese could have her wife for so much longer than she did.

“Do you want to try to sleep? I’m sure you’re not hungry, but if you are, I can fix you something to eat.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. My entire life revolved around taking care of her. It feels strange.”

“I know. Why don’t you lie down, turn on the tv and watch some mindless television.”

“Will you stay here with me?” Therese asked as she looked up at Carol.

“Of course I will. Just let me call Mom real quick and let her know and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Carol called her mother to tell her what happened and then went back to Therese’s room. Therese was already asleep. Carol assumed that she hadn’t slept well the night before. Not wanting to disturb her, Carol decided to try to eat something. The truth was she didn’t have much of an appetite either; Liz had become one of her best friends and she certainly wasn’t prepared to lose her yet.

She went out on the back deck and took in the early morning breeze. It was a cruel joke that it was so beautiful outside. _It should be raining._ But just because she and Therese lost someone who they both loved so dearly, didn’t mean that the world stopped spinning. Life kept moving, no matter what. 

Carol sat down on the chair she sat on last night. She looked over at the futon; the spot where Liz took her last breath. How could it all change overnight? It wasn’t fair that life could change so fast. Millions of other people were going on with their life while hers was standing still.

“Carol!” She heard Therese screaming for her and ran to the bedroom.

“What is it, baby?” she asked, terrified when she saw Therese’s face.

“I thought you left.” Therese breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m right here,” she said and climbed into bed with her. She pulled Therese tight against her and they both laid down. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m right here,” she said, softly.

“I just can’t do this alone right now,” she said, sniffling.

“I know.”

Therese gripped Carol tighter and buried her head in her chest. The pain that Therese was going through _had_ to be unbearable. Sure, Carol was in pain, but she wasn’t the one who just lost her wife. She was at a loss for comforting words. Really, what could she say, anyway? Nothing would bring back Liz or make Therese feel any better. So, she did the only thing that she could at that point and just held her.

“Sweetheart, there’s nothing that I can say to take away your pain. I wish I could. I’m so sorry,” Carol said.

“Just hold me,” Therese said. “Please don’t let go.”

“I won’t,” Carol promised. 

Therese’s crying eventually subsided and her breathing evened out as she fell asleep. Carol felt guilty about the way that she felt holding Therese. It felt so wonderful to have her sleeping in her arms again, but not the reason why. 

She heard Therese’s phone vibrating, but wasn’t going to wake her to answer it. She knew that once Liz’s body made it to the morgue, word would get around at the hospital and that everyone would try to comfort Therese one way or another. How could anyone be in the right headspace for a conversation after just losing the most important person in their life?

Carol shut off her brain and was eventually lulled to sleep by the sweet sounds of Therese’s calming breaths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😭😭😭😭


	10. Chapter 10

“I brought you some soup and grilled cheese,” Carol said as she set down the tray for Therese. “I thought you should at least try to eat something. There’s so much food down there that you’ll be set for a while. I can keep sending people away if you want me to. I understand if you don’t want to see anyone.”

It had been difficult for Therese to get out of bed the last few days. Liz’s body had been cremated and as per her request, there was no memorial service, which Therese was grateful for because having to converse with a lot of people was not something that she wanted to deal with. Nor did she have the energy. The only person that she wanted to be around was Carol, who had been so comforting, caring, and compassionate. 

“Thank you.” Therese was feeling a bit hungry; she hadn’t eaten much in days. Her appetite had diminished since _that day_.

“I was thinking we could get out for a bit today. If you feel up to it. Scatter some of her ashes in the ocean like she wanted? But only if you’re up for it. If not, it’s okay.”

“Yeah, that might be good.”

“I’m going to go finish the laundry. Just call for me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.”

Carol leaned over and gave Therese a soft kiss on her cheek. She reached out and held onto Carol, enjoying the contact. She knew that she had been relying too heavily on Carol’s physical affection, but damn if it didn’t feel good. Therese had also been relying on Carol doing almost everything for her and she knew that had to stop soon. She had been feeling sorry for herself and didn’t want it to last much longer. It’s not what Liz would have wanted for her.

“I’ll be back. I promise,” Carol said, softly.

Therese finished her soup and most of her sandwich; the most that she had eaten in days. She decided to shower – something else that she hadn’t done in a couple of days. But today was a new day and she needed to force herself to do something, anything other than lying around, feeling sorry for herself.

“Well, hey there,” Carol said as she came to the top of the stairs. “Feeling better after your shower?” She had such an infectious smile that Therese couldn’t help but smile back.

“I am.”

“Did you get enough to eat? I can fix you something else if you’re still hungry.”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

Once Therese was finally dressed, they set out on the short walk to the ocean. It was a beautiful day outside with the sun shining and a warm breeze; Therese’s favorite kind of day. Only a day like this was now marred with the memory of the same weather the day that Liz died. She tried not to dwell too much on that thought, but it would have been nice if the weather was terrible on the day she lost her wife.

“You okay? You’re awfully quiet.” She knew Carol was doing her best to help her through this and she more than appreciated it.

“I am,” she replied with a smile. “Just thinking, that’s all.”

“Don’t think too hard,” Carol replied with a smirk.

“Was that supposed to be a joke? Because it wasn’t funny,” Therese deadpanned.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that …”

“I’m kidding,” Therese replied with a laugh.

“Not funny, Belivet,” Carol said with a light shove.

“You’re just so worried about me.”

“Can you blame me?”

“No. Honestly, I appreciate it. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I’m glad that I have you here with me.”

“And now you’re stuck with me.”

“I’m okay with that.”

When they made it to the beach, Carol sat down to let Therese scatter some of Liz’s ashes on her own. She saved some for Carol since they had become so close in the last few months of Liz’s life. 

When they sat down, Therese couldn’t help letting a few tears slip. She quickly brushed them away, hoping that Carol didn’t see, but she was quick to hand a tissue to Therese.

“You just keep these things everywhere, huh?”

“They come in handy, don’t they?”

“That, they do.” Therese wiped her eyes and looked over at Carol. “You know, you don’t have to spend every waking minute with me. I know you have a life and a mysterious woman that you visit.” Therese smirked when Carol blushed at the last comment. “I’m sure you’d like to see her. I wouldn’t blame you.”

“It’s not like that. We’re really only friends.”

“Friends who have sex,” Therese pointed out.

“Exactly.”

“Is it difficult to have sex with someone that you don’t love?”

“It isn’t for me.” Carol shrugged. “I mean I love her as a friend, but nothing more.”

“Yeah, but sex is so intimate. I mean, you’re giving someone a piece of yourself every time.”

“True, but everyone has needs,” Carol replied. “And I remember what _your_ needs were like. How long can _you_ go without those needs being sated? Or have your … proclivities changed?”

Therese blushed when she thought about her own _proclivities_ and Carol knew all about them.

“No, they haven’t changed. It’s certainly been a while since _those_ needs have been met. I mean, Liz was certainly good at it, but we had to stop once she started to lose her strength.”

“It doesn’t even surprise me that Liz was good at it. She seems like she would be.” Carol laughed. “I could definitely see a bossy streak in her. And I’m sure you loved every minute of it.” She nudged Therese, playfully.

“It actually took quite a bit of convincing on my part to get her that way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah … but she eventually came around.”

“So, she was good at it?”

Therese smiled at the memories. “Yeah, she was,” she replied. “What about you? Spanking that woman that you see?”

“Fiona?! No way. It’s only sex with her. I haven’t done spanking or anything else in a long time.” Carol shrugged. “I don’t mind, though. I think to cultivate a relationship that goes beyond conventional spanking and into other things takes a lot of trust and I couldn’t do that with just anyone.”

“That’s certainly true.”

“What an odd conversation,” Carol said, laughing.

“It really is.”

“Anyway … I was thinking of going to the grocery store today and thought you might like to come along. I think it would be good for you to get out of the house. What do you say?”

“Sure.”

“Good, because I need you to drive.”

“Using me for transportation, huh?”

“Of course. Why else would I stick around?” Therese absolutely loved the banter between the two of them. Everything was easy with Carol.

“For the interesting conversations, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

* * *

Carol was happy to get Therese out of the house and she seemed to enjoy it. She didn’t want to say anything to her, but she was becoming concerned about Therese since she never seemed to want to leave her bedroom. But Carol couldn’t blame her for that. It had to be strange to devote your entire life to taking care of one person day in and day out and then one day, not having them anymore. She knew Therese felt lost and she wanted to be there for her no matter what.

“So, what did you want to pick up?” Therese asked.

“Not much, really. There’s so much food that people have brought over and I just wanted to get you out of the house for a bit. But I thought I’d cook something for us tonight instead of eating those leftovers.”

“What are you going to cook?”

“What do you want tonight?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know.” Therese pondered the question as Carol picked out some tomatoes. “Oh, how about steak?” Therese’s face lit up as she asked the question.

“Steak?” Carol put her hand to Therese’s forehead. “Are you feeling okay?” Therese laughed and to Carol, it was the most incredible sound in the world. “First, you ate all of your food earlier and now steak? Who are you? You must be feeling better.”

“Somewhat. It feels good to get out.”

“For sure. So, what do you want to go with your steak?”

“Carol?” She turned around and came face to face with Fiona. Well, this was guaranteed to be awkward.

“Hello, Fiona.” It wouldn’t take long for Therese to put two and two together. Carol hadn’t seen her in a while since she’d been helping Therese with Liz and Fiona was more than understanding. Carol was thankful that their relationship wasn’t anything beyond the friendship or sexual encounters they shared.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“Fiona, this is Therese. Therese, Fiona,” Carol said, making introductions.

“Ah, Therese. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Therese replied.

“I’m sorry to hear about your wife,” Fiona said.

“Thank you.”

“If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

“Thanks.”

“Well, I won’t hold you both up. Nice seeing you, Carol. Have a nice day.”

With that, Fiona walked away and Carol dared to look at Therese. She seemed to be entranced by the bronzed beauty walking away and Carol smirked.

“Holy shit!” Therese whispered, still staring at Fiona.

“What?”

“Is that the woman that you’re having sex with?”

“Yes,” Carol said with a chuckle.

“Seriously?” Therese still couldn’t take her eyes off of Fiona’s fading form.

“Yeah.”

“She’s fucking gorgeous.” 

“She is.” Therese looked back at Carol and shook her head as she began to smile. “What?” Carol asked.

“I’m a little jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Wouldn’t mind seeing _that_ ,” she muttered.

“What, Fiona?”

“Well that, but … you know …”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

“The two of you,” Therese replied with a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks.

“Me and Fiona?” Carol asked and Therese shrugged. “Really?”

“Can you blame me? You’re both incredibly gorgeous women. It would be kinda hot.” Carol stood with her mouth open, shocked at what Therese just said. “What? I’m still a lesbian and I can appreciate two beautiful lesbians. You, I can already picture in my mind if I want, but damn, the two of you together? That _has_ to be some pretty hot sex.”

“That’s the second time today we’ve had a discussion about sex.”

“What do you want me to say? I haven’t had sex in a long time and now you just gave me a wonderful mental picture.”

“I’m pretty sure you have a fever now.”

“Oh, I definitely do.”

“You do have orgasms, though?”

“Who has time for masturbation?” Therese asked. “Usually I’m too tired to even think about it.”

“I think you need some alone time.”

“Do you want to know what the sad thing is?”

“What?”

“I don’t even know where my vibrator is.”

“Wow. That _is_ sad,” Carol replied. “Okay, my mission when we get back to your house is to find your vibrator and then give you some alone time.” 

Carol’s mission was cut short when they got back to Therese’s house. There was someone standing in front of the door and it took Carol a second to register the face; a face she hadn’t seen in years. 

“Mom,” Therese said when they got to the front door. “What are you doing here?”

Jean Belivet was one of the most horrible women that Carol had ever had the displeasure of knowing. To say that she loathed the woman was an understatement. She and Carol always clashed and always because Jean couldn’t accept her daughter for who she was. But Carol had always tried to be cordial with the woman for Therese’s sake.

“Don’t be silly. I’m here to help you.” She stood there, stoically, almost as if being there was the most inconvenient thing in the world for her. 

“I don’t need your help, Mother.” Therese passed by her and went to unlock her door.

“Nonsense. Of course you do.”

“I actually don’t. Carol’s been helping me with everything I need.”

“Carol?” The name came bitterly from her tongue as she scoffed in disgust. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Didn’t she leave you heartbroken before? What could you possibly want with the likes of a felon?”

“That’s enough! Carol has been more help to me in the last two months than you have in the last two years.” Therese’s voice was rising at an alarming rate.

“Therese,” Carol interjected. “Maybe I should go …”

“Don’t,” Therese quickly replied, staring at her mother. “My mother was just leaving.”

“Come on, Therese. Don’t be like this. Let me in the house,” Jean said. “It’s been a long trip.”

“That’s not my fault,” Therese replied. “I’m sorry you came all this way, but if you would have called first, I would have told you not to bother. You haven’t been here once since Liz got sick. What makes you think you’re now welcome here?” Therese stuck her key in the doorknob and motioned for Carol to go inside and she followed her, but stood in the doorway. “It’s a long trip back home. You should get going before it gets too dark. Goodbye, Mother,” Therese said and shut the door behind her, making sure her mother could hear the deadbolt. She didn’t usually deadbolt the door until she went to bed, but she was clearly making a point.

“Are you okay?” Carol asked. She looked down to see Therese’s hands shaking.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

“You know, if you need me to leave, I can go home. She _is_ your mother, after all.”

“And I haven’t seen her in years. I don’t intend to start now. It’s fine, Carol, really. Honestly, I’d rather have _you_ here than _her_.”

“I’m sorry, Therese.”

“It’s fine,” Therese waved her off. “I’m going to change and lie down for a bit. I’m mentally worn out from today.”

“Go ahead. I’ll fix dinner and let you know when it’s ready.” Carol wrapped an arm around Therese’s waist for a hug. “Take your time.”

“Just so you know, I want you here, okay? I don’t know what I’d do without you right now.”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're still enjoying the story so far!


	11. Chapter 11

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Fiona said as she opened the door.

“I know, but Therese insisted that she spend the night alone. She said that she needs to get used to it.” Carol kissed Fiona on the cheek and breezed past her to the kitchen. She was in desperate need of a drink.

“You all right?” Fiona asked, following her into the kitchen.

Carol helped herself to a drink, as usual. “Not really,” she replied and gulped down a glass of wine.

“Take it easy on the wine. You don’t need to become an alcoholic,” she said, gently.

“Sorry.” Carol shook her head, trying to clear her brain. “It’s a little difficult.” She walked over to Fiona and pulled her close. Fiona wrapped her arms around Carol’s waist and held onto her.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Why don’t we sit down for a minute.”

“I don’t want to sit,” Carol replied and kissed Fiona’s neck, fully aware that she was channeling her sexual desires for Therese into Fiona. “I could think of a million other things that we could do.”

“Slow down,” Fiona said as she pulled back. “I think we should talk.”

“This can’t be good,” Carol replied with a sigh.

“Why do you say that?” she asked, looking amused.

“Nothing good ever comes after those words.”

“Have a seat.” Fiona sat down and Carol obliged, but not before pouring another glass of wine.

“Well?” Carol asked, impatiently.

“There’s no easy way to say this.”

“Just say it, Fi.” Carol wasn’t in the mood for beating around the bush. She was already on edge from worrying about Therese.

“I don’t think we should sleep together anymore.”

Carol stared at her for what felt like an eternity, but Fiona never budged, letting her words sink in. “Why?” Carol was oddly calm.

“Sweetheart,” Fiona said and took Carol’s hand. “I want you to be happy.”

“I _am_ happy …”

“Let me finish. I want you to be happy and I don’t think you can if you and I are sleeping together. I see the way you are with Therese and the way that she is with you. When I saw the two of you in the grocery store that day, you looked truly happy with her. And she’s completely smitten with you.”

“You’re wrong on that, you know.”

“I don’t think I am. I saw the way she looked at you. I know that look and she’s crazy about you. You may not see it, but I do. And you look at her the same way. I know you’re in love with her and I want you to be happy.”

“Fiona …” Carol shook her head as she struggled to find the words. “She … it’s not going to happen with her. She and I are friends. I love her, but I’m pretty sure that I ruined any chance that I ever had when I left her years ago.”

“Carol, don’t give up hope. I know what I saw and I know how you feel. Just give it a chance, that’s all I’m asking.”

Carol propped her head in her hand. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do that.”

“I think you should tell her how you feel.”

“Pfff,” Carol scoffed. “Yeah, right. Just tell her how I feel?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know about that. I don’t want to weird her out if she doesn’t feel the same way.”

“I don’t think you will.”

“So,” Carol said with a sigh. “This is it, huh?” She picked up Fiona’s hand and placed a gentle kiss to the back of it.

“I can give you tonight if you’d like.” Fiona raised her eyebrows.

Carol pondered that proposition. Did she want one more night with Fiona? Yeah, she did, but what was the point, really? Carol could always go home and take care of her own needs.

“No, I think it’s best to just break it off now. This better not mean the end of our friendship.”

“I wouldn’t dream of ending our friendship,” Fiona replied.

“So, what now for Fiona? Whose body will you be rocking now?”

“How do you know I’m not already rocking someone else’s body? You think you’re the only one I’m sleeping with?”

“Touché.”

* * *

The days were getting shorter, signaling the end of summer. Therese hated this time of the year, as she was a summer lover. She hated when it started to get cold. It meant that she’d have to start layering her clothes and that she’d be cold all the time. What made it all worse was the fact that she had a lonely, cold bed that awaited her every night. 

She tried to push that thought aside as she sat on the front porch drinking her coffee. It was still warm enough to sit outside and she was going to cherish however many warm mornings she had left. 

It had been a month since Liz’s passing and last night was the first night that she had spent alone, the first of _many_ nights that she was bound to spend alone. She told Carol that she needed to get used to being alone and while Carol was reluctant to leave her, Therese was adamant about her decision. She hated every minute of Carol not being there, but she really needed to learn to be by herself. 

Therese slept like shit; tossing and turning, sleeping in twenty minute increments. Soon, she’d have to go back to work and the thought was daunting. She had a lot of calls from nurses at the hospital, all sending their sympathy. It really was comforting to her to talk to some of the women that she was closest to at work. Some of them were the kindest women that she’d ever known.

“Well, hello there, Miss Belivet,” Carol said, smiling brightly as she approached. She came up to sit beside Therese on the front steps.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“Terribly.”

“You too?” Carol asked.

“You couldn’t sleep?”

“Not really.” Carol sighed heavily. “My brain was too worried about you.”

“I guess we’ve fallen into a routine, huh?”

“Yeah, we have.” Carol gave her a playful nudge. “I missed you last night,” she said, almost a whisper.

“I missed you, too,” Therese admitted. God, how she missed Carol; her arms around her, her body pressed to hers while she slept. It became second nature to her for Carol to fall asleep with her. It worried Therese that she was using Carol and she didn’t want to feel that way. But was she using Carol as a substitute for Liz or did she genuinely want Carol in her bed? She was pretty sure that it was the latter.

“It was odd sleeping in my bed last night,” Carol replied. “That and coupled with my brain racing with worries of you didn’t help.” She let out a soft chuckle.

“When do you go back to work?” Therese wanted to change the subject.

“Whenever I want to, really. But I was thinking about something last night. I want your opinion on it.”

“Okay.”

“I was thinking about trying to sell my paintings. I’ve sold a few of them. You know all those shops down by the beach?” Therese nodded. “There’s a few for rent and I was thinking about renting one to sell my paintings down there. I mean, it’s an excellent tourist trap. What do you think?”

“I think it’s an excellent idea. Your paintings are incredible and I think you’ll do well down there.”

“You better not be lying to me, Belivet.”

“I’m not. You’re an amazing artist. I think it’d be good for you.”

“I think so, too,” Carol replied. “I already talked to Ronnie about making my own schedule to give lessons and he’s fine with it. I really hate to give up being a surf instructor, so at least this way I can still do that. Besides, it’s about to get cold anyway. No one wants to take surf lessons in the middle of winter.”

“Was all of this going through your mind while you were trying to sleep last night?” Therese chuckled.

“Yeah,” Carol said, smirking. “My brain was all over the place last night.”

“I dread going back to work.”

“When do you go back?”

“In three weeks. They’re being extremely generous with me.”

“They know what you’ve been through. I’d be surprised if they didn’t help you out.”

“What do you have planned today?”

“Nothing, really. I had a feeling that you’d be awake and I wanted to come over and make sure you were all right. What about you?”

“Probably falling asleep when I can’t keep my eyes open any longer,” Therese replied.

“Yeah, me too.”

“I think I was a bit premature in kicking you out for the night.”

“I understand,” Carol said and put an arm around Therese. Just the contact of Carol’s skin set her own skin on fire. “You want to get used to being alone. I get it.” Carol gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and Therese hated the loss of contact from her arm.

Did she have to be _so_ understanding? Therese was trying to find a way to tell her that she had made a mistake and wanted her to keep staying with her for a while. It wasn’t like she could just come out and say “sleep with me.” That sounded way too forward, but she wanted that more than anything. Not only did she want it, but she _needed_ it. Badly. 

“Still, it wasn’t easy.”

“No, but it’s never going to be easy.”

Ugh, couldn’t she figure it out? But why was it so hard for Therese to admit that she needed Carol? 

“Look, if you want to stay for a while, you’re welcome to. I just don’t think I’m ready to be alone yet. I mean, you don’t have to and I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on you or anything …” Therese knew she was rambling. Now that she finally admitted that she wanted Carol to stay, she was feeling embarrassed.

“I’d love to,” Carol replied, cutting off Therese.

“Really? I mean, you’re not doing this because you feel guilty, are you? Because if that’s the case, you don’t have to.”

“No, I don’t feel guilty.”

“But you _do_ want to stay?”

“I _do_ want to stay.”

“Okay.” Therese wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. It seemed slightly awkward, but if Carol was feeling the same way, she wasn’t showing it. “I thought this coffee would do something for me, but I’m still exhausted.”

“So am I and I’ve had two cups. One good thing came out of this morning, though. I got to talk to Rindy.” Carol’s face lit up when she talked about her daughter. It gave Therese a reason to smile.

“Oh yeah? How’s she doing?”

“She’s well. She’s coming down for another visit soon. I’m dying to see her. It feels like it’s been way too long. She wants to get down here before it gets cold so that she can surf with me again.”

“That’s wonderful, Carol. I hope you’ll bring her around.”

“Of course. She adores you.”

“It’ll be nice to see her again.”

“Have you spoken to your mother?” Carol asked, cautiously.

“No. She hasn’t called me. I’m not really surprised.”

“It’s her loss,” Carol said and put her arm around Therese. “I don’t know about you, but I’m tired as hell. What do you say we take a nap?”

“Oh my god, please.” 

Neither one of them brought up the fact that they apparently couldn’t sleep without each other. Therese wasn’t ready to talk about that yet and she was perfectly fine without Carol bringing up the subject. 

Therese went to her bed and waited while Carol insisted that she wanted to put away Therese’s laundry. Carol’s domesticity made Therese smile. When she seemed to be taking a little longer than expected, Therese went to her walk-in closet to find Carol staring at her lingerie.

“See something you like?” Therese asked.

“Oh, sorry.” Carol turned her head away, but not quick enough that Therese didn’t notice the blush on her cheeks. “It’s just … it’s very nice. Expensive.”

“It is. Liz bought it all for me. A gift for myself _and_ her. She liked for me to wear it and I didn’t mind because it made me feel sexy.”

“It’s very pretty,” Carol replied as she moved her fingers from one piece to another.

“You don’t have any?”

“No. I never bought it for myself and no one ever bought any for me,” Carol said with a sad tone to her voice.

“Well, I’m sure someday, a woman will come along and buy you some nice lingerie that she’ll be dying to see you in.” Therese was the one that wanted to see Carol in it; she couldn’t lie to herself. What a sight it would be to see Carol in something lacy and skimpy at the same time. Carol had the type of body that skimpy lingerie was made for.

“Maybe.”

“Come on.” Therese took Carol’s hand. “Let’s go take that nap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little closer...
> 
> How much longer until these two are sizzling?!


	12. Chapter 12

“Did you ever have sex in prison?” Therese asked.

Good thing she already swallowed her food, because Carol almost choked on her water at the question. Not that she was afraid or embarrassed to answer. The conversation that she’d been having with Therese over dinner had been light and then she was thrust into a conversation about her sexual activities in prison.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get so personal.”

“No, it’s fine,” Carol said, waving it off. “I just wasn’t expecting the question, I suppose.” She took a long drink of her water to try to clear her throat. “As a matter of fact, yes, I did.”

“Really?” Therese seemed surprised. “Was it difficult? You know, trying to find places.”

“Sometimes.”

“Liz had mentioned one night that you told her that you had a girlfriend in prison.” Therese had said it like she wanted Carol to elaborate, but it was still a tough subject for her to talk about.

“I did,” Carol replied. “What do you want to know?”

“Only everything. It’s fascinating to me.”

“That I had a girlfriend in prison?”

“I suppose. Were you two together very long?”

“About a year and a half.”

“Is it difficult to fall in love with someone that you know is a felon?”

“I’m a felon,” Carol replied a little too defensively. But the question hurt, as if _she_ wasn’t worthy of someone falling in love with _her_.

“I didn’t mean to offend you. I know your situation was a little different and it wasn’t your fault that you were in there. I just meant that knowing that you were in there innocently, is it difficult to fall in love with someone that you know is guilty of their crime?”

“I never said she was guilty.”

“Was she?”

“Yes.”

“What did she do? If you don’t mind me asking.” Therese seemed a bit more cautious this time when she spoke.

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes.”

“She killed her children.”

“Oh my god … really?”

“Yep. She had two.”

“So, what happened?” This seemed to pique Therese’s interest.

“How do you mean?”

“With you two. How did it start?”

Carol took a deep breath, preparing herself to relate the story of Brooke. “When she first got there, I kind of felt sorry for her. I knew what happened, everyone did. That automatically made her an outcast from the start. There’s an honor among thieves. Some things you just don’t do and killing children is one of them, especially your own. She was bullied daily and I just couldn’t sit around and let them treat her so horribly, whether or not I thought she deserved it. But when it comes to prison, nobody’s innocent.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I befriended her. At the time she killed her children, she had some undiagnosed mental issues. The sad thing is that once she got into prison and on the medication she needed, she got better. She actually wasn’t a bad person. I slowly got to know her and eventually, I fell for her. It was an internal struggle for me because of what she had done, but eventually, I couldn’t stop myself. She was kind and sweet and really just stole my heart.” Carol smiled as she thought about Brooke. “Almost her entirely family disowned her except for her sister. She was the only one that would come to visit.”

“So, what happened with the two of you?”

“She killed herself. She knew she had no hope of getting out of there. I can’t say that I blame her. I imagine living with the guilt of something like that is crushing.”

“Carol, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Liz never told me that.”

“That’s because I didn’t tell her.” Carol pushed her food around on the plate, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. “Her sister was heartbroken when she found out. She came to collect Brooke’s things and she’d come to visit me. I suppose it helped her cope with losing Brooke. It helped me, too.”

“You really loved her, didn’t you?”

“I did. Besides you, she’s the only woman I’ve ever truly loved. Losing her was difficult and being stuck in prison didn’t help.” Carol sighed and stood up to clear her plate, not wanting any more to eat. “Before they took away all of Brooke’s things, her cellmate kept some things for me. I still have them, but there’s a few things that I’d like to give to her sister.”

“You should. Does she live far?”

“A couple hours away, but I have no way of getting there. It’s not like I have my license yet or a vehicle.”

“If you want, I could take you. I don’t mind.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that for me.”

“You didn’t. I’m offering to help. I could certainly use the distraction.”

“Okay. I’ll call her.”

* * *

It had been a taxing day on Carol. Spending the day with Brooke’s sister had mentally exhausted Carol and she felt really badly about Therese being there. It couldn’t have been easy on her, but she was so sweet and kind about everything. 

Carol was grateful to finally have the chance to see Lindsi outside of prison. They had become closer after Brooke died and Carol enjoyed their sister-like relationship since the one with her own sister was strained.

Carol and Therese had decided to get a hotel room since they were exhausted and she wanted Therese to be fresh when she drove them back home.

“Can I ask you something?” Therese asked through the silence after they got into bed.

“You know you can ask me anything.”

“Do you ever get lonely?”

“Lonely?” Carol was puzzled by the question. How could she possibly be lonely?

“Yeah. Don’t you ever want to … I don’t know, date someone?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, women aren’t exactly lining up at my doorstep,” Carol said with a chuckle.

“I just mean that you spend a lot of time with me and I’m beyond appreciative of your help, but I also don’t want to hold you back from finding a woman. I don’t want you to be lonely, you know.”

“I appreciate your sentiment, but I’m perfectly happy with my current situation. I’m by no means lonely and I enjoy spending time with you.”

She truly was anything but lonely. Carol enjoyed being with Therese, probably more than she was willing to admit to the woman lying next to her, but she wasn’t trying to date. At least not any time soon. Being with Therese had become her top priority and it didn’t bother her. She loved Therese and loved being the one to help her through her loss. It wasn’t only Therese’s loss, but Carol was also grieving Liz and their short lived friendship and being with Therese helped Carol as well.

“Do you ever think about dating again?” Carol didn’t know why she asked that question. She knew how stupid it sounded the second it left her mouth. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s okay. Eventually, yes, I’d like to date again. But I don’t want it to be because I’m trying to replace Liz or because I get lonely.”

“But no one likes to be alone, right?”

“I suppose. If I’m being honest, some of it is just me missing … you know.”

If the lights were on, Carol knew that she would see Therese blushing. She smirked at the thought.

“What?” She couldn’t help herself, wanting Therese to say the words.

“Don’t make me say it,” Therese said and pushed herself farther against Carol, burying her face in Carol’s chest.

“But you’re so shy and it’s so cute.”

“You’re evil,” Therese said, laughing.

“I know I am.”

“Sex. Okay? I miss sex.”

“Was that so difficult to say? You usually don’t have a problem talking about it.”

“I guess it’s just been so long and I’m out of practice. Maybe that’s why it’s difficult to talk about.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with picking up a woman for a night of casual sex.” Carol meant it, too. She was a firm believer in the fact that any woman shouldn’t feel ashamed about sex and wanting it. 

“Jesus, I haven’t done that in a really long time. I don’t know that it’s my thing anymore. I think I’d rather just let it happen naturally with someone that I’m comfortable with and care about. Not that I think there’s anything wrong with casual sex. I just don’t think it’s for me.”

“But it’s okay to sleep with me every night, huh?” Carol was only teasing her, but realized how terrible it sounded once it came out. “Fuck, that sounded really mean. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know, dork,” Therese said as she poked Carol in the ribs. “But you know you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It _is_ nice to have you sleep with me at night, though.”

“Oh, I’m just a warm body. I see how it is.”

“Of course.” Carol was thankful that Therese appreciated the humor. “A _gorgeous_ warm body, I might add.”

Oh Jesus, her words had quite a heating effect on Carol. She would be more than happy to end Therese’s dry spell. It’s not like she hadn’t been pleasuring herself to those thoughts when she was in the shower. 

Right now, she was cursing her body for its own stupid arousal. She knew her nipples were hard. So hard it was painful and poking into Therese. It didn’t help that both of them were only wearing underwear and a t-shirt since this overnight stay wasn’t planned. She wanted so desperately to not be aroused by the woman lying next to her, but the universe was being cruel.

Therese shifted beside her, pulling Carol tighter against her. When she did, Carol could feel Therese’s nipples were hard as well. Should she make a move? Would Therese want that?

“Carol?” Therese whispered.

“What, sweetheart?” She heard Therese swallow hard before she spoke.

“Would it be weird if … if _we_ you know …”

Was this an offer? It was adorable that Therese still couldn’t say the word.

“Had sex?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know.” This was a delicate situation and she didn’t want to take advantage of Therese for her own personal feelings. “It’s not that we’ve never had sex before. I just don’t want you to regret it if we would.”

“I don’t think I would, but I don’t want you to think that I’m using you.”

_Fucking use me!_ At that moment, she’d give anything to be used by Therese, her own feelings be damned. Carol was too fucking horny to think about the consequences of what a night of passionate sex would do to her own heart. Or how she would feel about it in the morning. The only thing that she could think about was Therese’s walls convulsing around her tongue while she came hard in Carol’s mouth.

“I think you’re overthinking it. It’s just sex, Therese. It’s a basic human need. There’s nothing wrong with two consenting adults having sex.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Was this really going to happen? Right here? Right now? Carol’s mind was racing. How was it going to start? Should she kiss her? Carol never had a problem initiating sex before, how had it become so difficult?

“So, is this really going to happen?” Therese asked, sounding adorably nervous.

“If you want it to,” Carol said, rubbing slow circles on Therese’s lower back.

“Do you want it to happen?”

“Yeah,” Carol replied honestly. God, did she ever want it to happen.

“Really?” Therese looked up at Carol.

“Yes.” Carol smiled at how nervous she looked. “Are you nervous?”

“Extremely. It’s been so long and I’m out of practice.”

“Well, from what I remember, you were excellent. It’s not something that you can forget how to do.”

“That’s true.”

“Would you like me to start?”

“Please.”

Carol leaned down and kissed her softly. She felt Therese’s hand slip under her shirt and the simple touch spurred her arousal even further. Therese’s tongue slid into her mouth and she couldn’t suppress the moan. Therese tasted delicious. 

Carol moved her hand from Therese’s back to her stomach and she slid it higher to the soft skin under her left breast. Therese moved Carol’s hand higher to cup her breast. When Carol pinched her nipple, Therese pulled away, gasping.

“Oh, fuck,” Therese said, breathing heavily.

“Why don’t you take off your shirt?” Carol suggested.

“Only if you do.”

When they took off their shirts, Carol went straight for Therese’s chest. She licked and sucked the hard nipple into her mouth, coaxing a moan from Therese as she did. Oh, how she missed those moans from the woman beneath her. The same moans that she’d conjure from memory when she was alone. When Carol moved her hand over Therese’s stomach and down even farther, Therese stopped her.

“Wait,” Therese said.

“What is it? Is it too much? Do you want to stop?” _Please don’t want me to stop._

“No,” Therese said with a laugh. “It’s just … well, I haven’t exactly had a reason to keep up maintenance down there. Not that it’s out of control or anything. I trim, but if I would have known …”

“Therese,” Carol interrupted. “It doesn’t bother me, okay?”

“I just didn’t want to gross you out or anything.”

“Trust me, you don’t,” Carol assured her. “Judging by how wet I am, the only thing I am right now is aroused.”

“Could I feel?” Therese asked, biting her bottom lip.

Carol positioned herself next to Therese and kissed her softly.

“You can feel anything you want.”

Therese placed her hand on Carol’s breast, kneading and pinching her nipple. Carol moved her hand to Therese’s breast, mirroring her actions. She wanted to go at Therese’s pace.

“How long has it been for you?” Carol asked, gently.

“Almost two years,” Therese whispered.

“I’ll go as slow as you want and do whatever you want.”

“I think we should lose the underwear, don’t you?”

“Excellent idea, Miss Belivet.”

Carol moved quickly to free herself of the restricting garment. She couldn’t get naked fast enough. With Therese finally naked beside her, Carol moved a leg in between Therese’s. A groan escaped her when she felt Therese’s wetness coat her leg and Therese’s hand between her thighs, stroking her delicately through slick folds.

“You weren’t lying,” Therese whispered.

“I rarely do.”

Carol rolled Therese onto her back and kissed her softly. In that moment, she knew it was a mistake to agree to this. Her brain was chastising her for getting herself into this situation, knowing that this was only sex. But her heart was already in too deep. It was impossible to turn off her stupid feelings. Why did she let this happen? Only one answer: pure unadulterated lust. She shouldn’t have done this. She had told Therese that she didn’t want her to regret it, but she didn’t consider the fact that she might be the one to regret this if Therese did.

However, she wasn’t stopping now. Not when her mouth hovered dangerously close to the one place that she had wanted it to be since that first kiss. Looking up at Therese from between her legs brought back a flood of memories that she thought were locked away, never to be seen again. 

Carol gently kissed her inner thighs and pushed them open. With her eyes on the prize, she slowly spread Therese’s swollen lips apart, exposing her engorged clit. Her sharp intake of breath alarmed Therese.

“Are you all right?” Therese asked, her voice laced with concern.

“Oh sweetheart, I’m more than all right.”

“I’m pretty wet.”

“Yes, you are. And I’m going to lick you until you come in my mouth. Until you beg me to stop.”

“If you keep talking like that, I’ll come before your mouth even touches me.”

“We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” Carol whispered seductively.

Carol placed a delicate kiss at her entrance, soaking her mouth and nose in the process. Damn, she smelled good and tasted even better. She stuck her tongue out, reveling in the taste and then inside Therese’s hole, greedy for more. She moved her tongue back out and slid the rigid muscle back in, further still, staying inside and swirling it around, desperate for more of the sweet juices that never seemed to stop flowing. Therese was a fountain and Carol was a greedy drinker.

Therese pulled up her legs and spread them as wide as she could. Carol knew what she wanted, knew her body too well from the endless sex that they once shared. Therese wanted that tongue pumping in and out of her. She needed to be tongue fucked and Carol needed it just as much. With her hands holding Therese by the backs of her knees to hold her in place, she thrust her tongue in and out of Therese’s dripping hole. 

Their sexual symphony was a lewd sound of Therese’s moans and Carol’s mouth sliding through the never-ending wetness and Carol knew that if she died right then and there, she’d be happy. 

Carol licked up Therese’s slit all the way to her clit. Delicately flicking the sensitive nub, Therese cried out. 

“Fuck, Carol!”

Therese was close; her breathing was heavy. Carol pulled back to try and prolong this feeling for Therese, not wanting her to come just yet. Oh, who was she kidding? She’d lie there all night, nestled between those creamy thighs if that’s what Therese wanted.

Therese pulled Carol’s head hard against her and the older woman was in complete sexual bliss. Suddenly Carol was filled with more love for Therese than she had ever felt before. It was an odd time to have such an emotion bubble up while she was in this position, but there it was. Therese was what she needed, craved and wanted. To Carol, Therese was her home. _Fuck, don’t think that right now. Don’t get emotional!_

She thrust two fingers deep inside Therese and pulled them out to the tips before slamming back into her. When her thumb was thoroughly coated in Therese’s juices, she slid it down over Therese’s opening and back further to that tight ring of muscle and gently massaged. Therese gasped, but Carol knew that gasp, knew that Therese was enjoying every second. With her thumb occasionally hitting that puckered hole and her fingers thrusting deep inside, Carol sucked the hardened nub into her mouth. This was her plan all along; the exact way that she was going to give Therese exactly what she needed.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come.” Therese jerked Carol tighter against her as she said the words and with a guttural moan, she finally released, drenching Carol in the process. Therese rode the waves and aftershocks with Carol still latched on until she begged her to stop, just as Carol promised.

Therese collapsed, completely spent and Carol rested her head on the soft thigh next to her. For a while, the only sounds were their heavy breathing. That was one thing she always enjoyed with Therese: neither one needing to fill the silence with small talk, both just enjoying the afterglow.

But Carol needed one thing – she needed to kiss that mouth that made those delicious noises. She crawled up to hover over her and Therese pulled her down by the back of the neck, kissing her roughly, just the way Carol liked it after wild sex.

“Thank you,” Therese whispered.

“You’re welcome,” she replied with a grin on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, where you expecting that yet? I wasn't lying when I said that they'd be getting together soon! 😉


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've all been waiting so patiently for the next chapter and I truly do appreciate your patience and all of the comments and kind words. I hope you'll enjoy this one. It's steamy, as promised!

“I mean it, Carol. Thank you,” Therese whispered. “You have no idea what that meant to me. Not just because of the obvious, but you’ve made me feel so fucking sexy again. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that.” Therese tried hard not to let the tears escape, but her attempt was futile; her emotions were all over the place and Carol made her feel indescribable.

“No need to thank me, darling. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.” God, the seduction in Carol’s voice was intoxicating and the way that she was gazing at Therese like she wanted to continue to devour her made her insides clench. Was she in love with this goddess hovering over her? The same one who just upturned her entire world and gave her a mind numbing orgasm while she rode out the waves locked tight against her face?

One thing she knew for sure: she needed to have her mouth on Carol. She felt no obligation to reciprocate, she _needed_ to do the same to Carol. Not only for that beautiful blond, but for herself. It had been so long since she had been able to have her mouth on another woman and the thought instantly filled her with sadness. The last woman was Liz. Not that she felt guilty for being with Carol, but she still missed Liz. Missed the easiness in their sexual relationship. They had explored so much together sexually and the thought of having to cultivate that kind of relationship with another woman was daunting.

But Carol was right there and she knew exactly how to please Therese. Knew all about Therese’s need to have to submit to someone. The way that she loved to give control away and have another woman in control of her body. Therese needed that; not all the time, but she enjoyed it _so_ much. And the only other person who was as good at dominating her besides Liz was Carol. She had always been so sexy when she was dominant. Her dominant streak had shone through moments ago when she took control of Therese’s body and instinctively knew what she wanted. She didn’t need to vocalize her need for a finger probing in her ass; Carol already knew. Therese only wished that she had felt confident enough to tell her to push it inside, but it had been a while since she felt that and she needed more time before that was going to happen.

Therese pulled her down on top of her and pushed her leg in-between Carol’s. She was gushing and Therese’s ego swelled, knowing that she was the reason for it. She ran a hand along one of Carol’s firm ass cheeks and squeezed. Her other hand trailed along the ridges of Carol’s muscled back. 

Carol groaned and ground her pussy into Therese’s leg. “Holy fuck, baby,” Carol breathed out against her neck. The endearing term set Therese’s pussy on fire and she latched onto Carol’s neck, sucking and soothing the delicate flesh. She tasted like sweat and sex and heaven. She tried not to think about Carol calling her “baby” as she moved her hands to Carol’s chest and pushed her away. Did she mean to call her that? Therese both feared and hoped that she did.

Carol gazed at her, confusion written all over her face until Therese lunged forward, latching onto one of the gorgeous rosy nipples that had been teasing her, begging for her mouth. When Therese sucked harder, Carol moved to straddle her, grinding down hard against Therese, rocking back and forth to seek out as much friction as possible. Therese released her breast with a pop and something caught her eye, something underneath Carol’s breast that she hadn’t noticed before. It was small enough, but Therese saw it, choosing not to mention the fact that the letters TMB were etched along her skin in ink.

“Carol,” Therese moaned. “Get up here. Ride my face. I need to taste you.”

Carol sat up and slowed her movements, sliding her slick cunt along Therese’s own heated center. God, she was sexy. Her voice was husky when she spoke. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Oh, she was teasing. Therese loved it.

“I really would.” Therese had to play along. A teasing Carol was an aroused Carol and an exciting one as well.

“You’d like a taste, wouldn’t you? Naughty girl.”

Therese could only nod in response, entranced by the undulating hips setting fire to her body. This was an image that wouldn’t leave her memory any time soon, if ever. Therese would certainly fuck herself for years to come with this single image seared into her brain. 

Carol moved her slender fingers through her soaked folds and then up to her mouth to taste herself. Fuck, was there anything more erotic? She watched Carol clean her fingers, her tongue darting out, never breaking eye contact.

“Tell me how you taste,” Therese begged.

“Why don’t you tell me yourself.” Carol easily pushed two fingers inside her pussy and gathered her juices. She pushed them into Therese’s mouth and pulled them back out, leaving Therese a whimpering mess, then shoved them back in. In and out, in and out, fucking Therese’s mouth with her soaked fingers. Therese sucked greedily for everything that Carol was offering. She was fucking delicious. “Do you like that, baby? The way I taste right before I’m about to come in your mouth?”

Therese moaned loudly, beyond aroused. Was this really happening? Was she really naked with Carol? Surely, this was a dream … a fucking delicious wet dream. She fought the urge to pinch herself. Hopefully this wasn’t the last night that she’d share naked with Carol, but if it was, she was going to savor every last luscious minute.

When Carol’s fingers left Therese’s mouth, she said, “I love the way you taste, Carol. I want more.”

“Tell me what you want more of, Therese. Let me hear you say it.”

“You,” Therese replied, nervously, scared to say the wrong thing and have it all taken away.

“More specific, darling.” _Darling? Jesus Christ._

“Your pussy. I want it all over my face. I need you to come on my face, in my mouth. Fuck, anywhere you want. Just come on me.” Therese felt like a wanton slut begging for Carol’s pussy, but that’s what she wanted so badly she felt she might explode if she didn’t get it.

Carol leaned forward to whisper, “I like it when you beg for my pussy.”

“Christ Carol, you’re killing me,” she said, chuckling.

“You love it.” Carol smirked and chastely kissed her lips. “I won’t keep you waiting any longer.” She moved forward and in one fluid motion, she was straddling Therese’s face, taunting her with that delicious swollen cunt. Oh, how she couldn’t wait to suck those lips in her mouth, to feel that engorged clit throbbing on her tongue.

She gazed up at Carol’s aroused form, not sure what to pay more attention to. Her tense gaze on Therese? Her rock hard, tasty nipples? Her perfect surfer toned thighs? Or the feast just above her mouth?

“You’re so gorgeous, Carol.” It was the truth. She was a gorgeous, throbbing, wet mess that Therese couldn’t wait to ravage. Was that uncertainty that briefly flashed in Carol’s eyes? It was quick, but Therese saw it. 

“Thank you,” Carol replied. She was still on her knees, hovering over, teasing. Then she moved her hands between her legs to pull her lips apart, exposing herself to Therese. God, she was so confident. How could she have been so uncertain a moment ago and why?

Therese closed her eyes and breathed in the scent that was uniquely Carol. The scent that shook her to her core. That incredible scent that sent her back to fifteen years ago. So many memories of Carol, some she’d forgotten.

When she opened her eyes, she was staring directly into Carol’s most intimate spot, glistening for her. She reached up, to caress and squeeze firm ass cheeks and Carol moaned while she gently rocked her hips. This was Carol’s game and Therese enjoyed the show. She knew not to beg at that moment because Carol was about to give her exactly what she wanted.

She moved her hands to the headboard and lowered herself onto Therese’s greedy mouth, sliding side to side until Therese’s face was nestled inside her warm, wet cocoon. She was instantly coated in Carol’s hot arousal and she moaned into the perfect pussy that was latched onto her face. When Therese poked her tongue out, delving into her folds, Carol held her in place, reminding her of who was in control. Therese stiffened her tongue, pushing it all the way out and Carol moved her hole to the waiting tongue. 

She slowly moved up and down, using Therese’s tongue to fuck herself. She was gentle, but there was no mistaking that Carol was controlling this interaction. Therese loved every minute of it. Carol gushed, spilling juices down Therese’s face. She wanted this so badly, had begged for it and _finally_ , she was getting her wish.

“Don’t move your tongue,” Carol commanded and pulled herself up. Therese gasped for air, thankful for the small break. “Now, I’m going to ride the beautiful face and tongue of yours to ecstasy.” Therese whimpered pathetically, eager for what was going to happen. This wasn’t the first time that Carol had fucked her face, but Therese loved it every single time. She was wild and primal when she did and it was damn hot. “Ready?” Therese nodded in response and waited anxiously.

When Carol finally lowered herself once again, it was like someone else took over. She ground down on Therese’s tongue, using it to glide through her folds and up to her clit, up and down and up and down until she finally stilled her clit on Therese’s tongue. Her movements became more controlled as she sought her orgasm. Her clit was so hard and Therese wanted desperately to suck it between her lips. She wanted to latch on to it and suck the orgasm out of her. 

She felt Carol tremble and not long after that, the intense rush of liquid from Carol’s orgasm. Unable to control herself, she delved her tongue into Carol’s convulsing hole, indulging in the contractions pulling her tongue inside. Carol cried out and reached down to rub her clit, forcing another orgasm from herself and Therese couldn’t be happier to be the recipient of Carol coming on her tongue and into her mouth.

Carol’s moans and cries of pleasure made Therese gush. When Carol finally came down from her high, she rolled off of Therese and collapsed on the bed next to her. She draped her leg over Therese’s hips and her arm fell on Therese’s stomach. The gesture felt so intimate and she immediately wove her fingers through Carol’s. 

Once their breathing finally evened out, neither one moved, both spent. Therese thought that maybe Carol had fallen asleep until she rolled over and sat up. She wanted to reach out and run her hands along the sexy muscles of Carol’s back. But she refrained, unsure if the gesture would be welcomed. This was supposed to be purely sex between two consenting adults, nothing more. Except it didn’t feel that way. It felt like so much more than that. Like love? But she had to keep reminding herself that in the cold light of day, this night would be nothing more than a distant memory. 

Therese’s pussy clenched at the visuals that she’d have for the rest of her life. It was a memory that Therese would never forget. One that she would hold tight to forever. An incredible, earth shattering memory of some of the most emotional sex of her life. Shit. She was fucked. Her heart was already in deeper than it should have been. She may actually live to regret tonight because Carol was clear that it was just sex. But she wouldn’t admit that to Carol. She couldn’t. She’d wake up in the morning and try to pretend that her heart didn’t already belong to Carol. It was bound to be difficult, but she had to steel herself for the morning … any way that she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it as good as you hoped? I think I already know the answer to that. 😉


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you all enjoyed the last two chapters! 😉

Therese opened her eyes to the harsh light of the morning. Momentarily forgetting where she was, she quickly sat up and looked around. Then she remembered that she and Carol had stopped at a hotel. But there was no sign of Carol. Therese picked up her phone to check the time: 9:42. Before she had a chance to call Carol, the door opened and Therese quickly covered herself when she realized she was still naked.

“Good morning,” Carol said with a smile. “I didn’t want to wake you, but I was ravenous, so I went across the street to the diner to get us some breakfast. Hope you’re hungry.”

“Starved,” Therese replied as her stomach chose that moment to respond as well.

“I guess so.”

Therese was never one to be shy about being naked, but with Carol fully clothed and after what had happened the previous night, she was feeling unsure of herself. And if she was being truly honest, she hoped the night before that she could wake up with both of them naked and entangled in one another. She awkwardly wrapped the sheet around herself and sat down at the table. Carol smirked as she pulled the containers out of the bag.

“Your clothes are over on the dresser.”

Therese looked to see that they were folded. “Thanks.”

Just as she suspected, she felt painfully embarrassed in the cold light of day. Should she bring up what happened? Should they talk about it? Did they need to? It was already established last night that it was just sex, but Therese wondered how Carol felt. If she was feeling the same way that Therese did.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Carol asked.

“Sore,” Therese replied, smiling. “In all the right places.”

“Was it um … okay? I mean, I didn’t hurt you at all, did I?” Oh god, was Carol nervous? Seeing her so worried about Therese was adorable.

“Hell no, you didn’t hurt me. And it was way more than okay. It was amazing.”

“Oh good.” Carol visibly relaxed. “So, you enjoyed yourself?”

“You really need to ask that?” Therese smiled as she dug into the food.

“I suppose not. Just making sure that I didn’t hurt that pretty little face of yours.”

Therese burst out in laughter. “No … no, you didn’t hurt my face.”

* * *

After getting back from the trip, they both fell back into their normal routine. Carol never brought up their night in the hotel and Therese decided that it should stay that way. The boundaries had been established that night, but the lines of their friendship were seriously blurred. She still needed Carol in her life, but for own peace of mind, she decided that it would be best if they quit sleeping in the same bed. Even though Carol had agreed with her, Therese almost hoped that she would talk her out of it.

Carol still stayed with Therese, but stayed in the guest room when she spent the night. It was difficult for Therese, but she didn’t want to feel that she was using Carol. She was still getting used to sleeping without Liz and Carol helped fill that void. But she genuinely liked sleeping with Carol. Was it wrong to want Carol next to her every night? She was comfortable with Carol and it felt good to have her there. 

Therese was mentally preparing herself to go back to work. It was overwhelming just thinking about having to go back to the long shifts. Thankfully, they were willing to help ease her back into it with only two day shifts and then three days off. 

It was the middle of the night and she was tossing and turning. She knew she needed sleep, but it was evading her. But something had been on her mind since she and Carol spent that incredible night in the hotel room: that tattoo. Why were her initials there? Were they her initials or was it a coincidence? Therese was too chickenshit to ask, so she’d have to keep wondering until maybe she conjured up enough courage to ask.

When Therese woke up to her alarm two hours later, she felt no more rested than when she had gone to bed the night before. Taking a deep breath, she got out of bed and into the shower. When she dressed and went downstairs, Carol had breakfast already made and ready for her. It was certainly a nice surprise that she wasn’t expecting.

“Good morning,” Carol said, smiling.

“What’s all this?” Therese asked, incredulous.

“Well, I wasn’t sure what you’d be hungry for, so I made a little bit of everything. And there’s coffee. I’m sure you’ll need it.”

“You have no idea how much I need it. I slept like shit.”

“I figured you probably wouldn’t sleep too well.”

“You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”

“Nonsense.” Carol waved her off. “Like I’m really going to leave you to fend for yourself on your first day back to work? How cruel do you think I am?”

“Thank you.” Therese filled her plate and sat down to eat.

“So, are you ready to get back at it?”

“No, but it was going to happen eventually.”

“True.”

“What do you have planned for today? More paintings to sell?”

“Yep,” Carol said with a smile.

Carol had a small shop space down by the beach that she had been renting out that Therese had helped set up. She had been working there with Carol and really enjoyed being there. It was calming to look at Carol’s work and watch her work. When it was slow, Carol worked on other paintings in the back while Therese watched. She was quite envious of Carol’s talent, lacking any sort of creativity herself. But it was nice to be there with Carol and she was truly going to miss it.

“I wish I could be there with you. I’m going to miss being in the shop all day, selling paintings with you and watching you paint new masterpieces.”

“I’d hardly call them masterpieces.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. People are buying the shit out of your work.”

“I suppose.”

“Meanwhile, I have to go deal with sick people.” Not that Therese hated her job; she just really wasn’t ready to go back to work.

“Quit your job. Come work with me.”

Therese knew that Carol was serious about that offer and oh, how nice it would be to work there. No one dying on your watch, no getting covered in blood. Just the calm ocean and Carol. _Carol._

“Believe me, that’s looking like a very enticing offer.”

“I’m serious, you know. You could quit your job if you want. It’s not like you don’t have the money to do it. I mean, I know you love what you do, but I also saw how much you love being at the store. Ever since you’ve known your return date to work, you’ve been more irritable the closer this day has come.”

“The thing is, I don’t know that I love my job anymore. I love helping people, but I don’t know how it’s going to be post-Liz.”

“Well, if you change your mind, the offer’s always on the table. I still haven’t hired anyone yet, so I need the help. It’s not like I won’t pay you.”

“I’m not really worried about the money, honestly. I just don’t know if nursing is for me anymore. It’s so depressing sometimes, you know. I want to find something else that I’m passionate about.” 

“Well, you enjoy taking pictures. You’re always lugging that camera everywhere.” Carol pointed to the camera bag on the coffee table. “You could take pictures and sell them at the shop.”

“I don’t know the first thing about photography. It’s just a hobby.”

“So learn.” Carol shrugged as if learning about something knew was the easiest thing in the world.

“Easy for you to say. You’re naturally talented at painting.”

“Sweetheart, painting didn’t come naturally for me. I took classes and learned about it. I didn’t just pick up a brush one day and know what I was doing. I was fascinated with it and I enjoyed it. You enjoy photography. Find classes, learn the things you need to know.”

“You really think it’s that easy?” Therese asked, pondering her situation. Why couldn’t she do this? If Carol could start over on a different career path at forty-three, why couldn’t she do it at thirty-six?

“Yes, I think if you enjoy it, I think it’s that easy.” Carol set her fork down and leaned over the table to Therese. “Look, go to work today and tomorrow. If you don’t feel the same way about your job that you used to, quit. Don’t stay there and be miserable at a job where you’re unhappy.”

Therese thought about it for a while and how intimidating it would be to quit something that had been her security for so long. But really, what did she have to lose? If photography didn’t work for her, she could always go back to nursing.

She slowly nodded her head. “Okay … okay, I’ll do that.”

“Good. I can also help you find some classes if you decide to quit. And if you don’t decide to quit, I can still help you find classes because I think it’s something you should pursue anyway.”

* * *

“Holy shit,” Carol said as she approached her store that morning.

“Well, hello stranger.”

“Abby. What the hell are you doing here?” Carol asked and pulled her oldest friend in for a hug. “Jesus, it’s good to see you.”

“Well, I’ve been busy and haven’t had a chance to get down here, but I thought I’d surprise you.”

“I’m definitely surprised,” Carol said and unlocked the door. “Come in.”

“So, this is your place, huh?” Abby stepped in and looked around, going from one painting to the next.

“It is.”

“All of these yours?”

“Every single one of them.”

“Jesus, when do find the time to paint?”

“When no one’s here or when I’m off. Which there hasn’t been that many off days. Still looking for some help. I have room in the back where I paint.”

“How’s business?”

“Pretty good, actually. What about you? What’s new in Abby’s world?”

“Well, I haven’t been to prison,” Abby replied with a smirk.

“Ha ha,” Carol said, sarcastically. “You’re too funny.”

“Same old shit, you know how I am.”

“So, still playing with bugs, huh?”

“Yes, the technical term for my job is ‘playing with bugs’ and I enjoy it.”

“And the ladies? Still playing with them?”

“Always.”

“Oh, Abigail, please don’t ever change.”

“What about _you_ and the ladies? How many worlds have you upturned since being out of prison?”

“Oh stop. I haven’t been with many women.”

“Just Fiona?”

“No.”

“Oh, so there’s another one that you’re not telling me about. Let me guess, it’s that sweet younger woman that you spend all your time with, right? All that togetherness, being cooped up in her house got the two of you all sweaty, huh?”

“It happened one time and not in her house.”

“Oh, in public then? Exhibitionism?”

“No, you nitwit. We were in a hotel room. Went to visit Brooke’s sister and Therese was too tired to drive all the way back home, so we got a hotel room. It just sort of happened.”

“I see. So, just the one time?”

“Yes.”

“Why not more?”

“I don’t know. We have a past and her wife just died not too long ago. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“Do you have feelings for her?”

“What’s with all the questions?” Carol wanted desperately to change the subject. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings for Therese.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Are you here to annoy me or as my friend?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop. Just wondering how you feel about her, that’s all.”

“It doesn’t matter because I’m not going to do anything about it. She’s my friend and I don’t want to put her in a position where I could hurt her again.”

“I’m just going to say one last thing and then I’ll drop it.”

“What?”

“You can still hurt her as a friend. Friends hurt each other all the time.”

Dammit, why did Abby have to be right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! I haven't replied to all of them, but I certainly do appreciate it! Thank you so much for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't replied to comments on the last chapter. I'll try to get to them soon and answer the questions. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

“Okay, so we haven’t talked about it. It’s been weeks and it’s not been awkward. We just … decided that night that it would be just sex and nothing else,” Carol said and handed Abby a glass of wine. They were back at Therese’s house after being at the shop all day. Carol enjoyed having Abby there to help her and she desperately missed her. 

“That sounds pretty fucking dangerous, Carol.”

“Yeah, well hormones were dictating my line of thinking that night. All I wanted to do was get naked with her. We had been sleeping in the same bed for weeks and it was getting even more difficult to lie next to her and not want to rip off her clothes.”

“Yikes.”

“Well … now I’m fucked because I already had feelings for her and now I don’t know what the fuck to do.”

“Are you and Fiona still having sex?”

“No. Fiona ended it a while ago.”

“And you’re staying here with Therese?”

“Yes,” Carol replied, sighing heavily.

“Your life is a soap opera.”

“You’re telling me.”

“You think that she feels the same way about you?”

“I doubt it. Why the hell would she have feelings for me? Especially after the way I hurt her years ago. I’m lucky that she even wants to be friends with me.”

“Carol, that was in the past. If the two of you had been sharing the same bed and had sex, I’m sure that she’s way past what happened between you two.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Carol heard the front door unlock. She looked at the time, wondering what Therese was doing home already.

“I quit!” Therese exclaimed. “I said ‘fuck it’ and walked into administration and quit just like that,” Therese said before she even saw Carol.

Carol was laughing when Therese finally made it to the kitchen.

“Oh, hi.” Therese abruptly stopped when she saw Abby in the kitchen. “Oh my god, Abby?”

“The one and only,” Abby replied.

“So, you quit?” Carol prompted.

“Oh! Yes, I did.” Therese’s eyes lit up when she spoke. “It was awful and not just because I wasn’t looking forward to going back to work. It was just terrible. I couldn’t do it anymore.”

Carol handed Therese a glass of wine. “Well, congratulations are in order then. I’m happy for you.”

“So what are your plans?” Abby asked.

“Photography,” Therese said, confidently. “Carol said that she’d help me, so I’m going to take her up on her offer.”

“Well, good for you,” Abby said.

“I didn’t know that you were coming down for a visit,” Therese said with a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

“Well, it was last minute and I wanted to surprise Carol.”

“You know you’re welcome to stay here if you want.”

“No, I couldn’t impose.”

“It’s really not a problem, Abby. I don’t mind the company and I’m sure Carol would love to have you stay.”

Carol shot Abby a warning glare, afraid of what would come out of her mouth. God knows what she was thinking. Abby always found it difficult to keep her mouth shut, but she at least knew when to be quiet when Carol gave her a glare.

“Okay. If it’s not a problem, then I’d love to stay.”

“Excellent. I’ll leave the two of you alone. I need to shower and I might take a nap.”

When Therese left the room and was out of earshot, Abby turned to look at Carol with a smirk on her face. “You gonna go join her?”

“Fuck. Off.”

“Oh, come on. You know I had to say _something_.” Abby refilled her wine glass and then Carol’s. “So, tell me something.”

“What?” Carol asked, almost afraid of Abby’s question. God only knew what was about to come out of her mouth.

“What was the sex like?”

“Pervert.”

“I don’t mean like that. I don’t want specific details. What I want to know is was it the same as it used to be? Did it seem like she had feelings?”

Carol thought back to that crazy, incredible night and tried to think about possible signs that pointed to Therese sharing the same feelings as Carol. She never gave Therese the opportunity to wake up naked next to her because Carol made sure that she’d be clothed before Therese woke up. If Therese didn’t feel the same way about her, Carol knew that she wouldn’t be able to handle the rejection in those green eyes. She didn’t give them a chance to bask in the afterglow of what had happened. She just knew that she didn’t want to have her heart broken. So, when she woke up, she immediately dressed and went across the street for breakfast. 

But when she really examined their night of love making over the last few weeks - since it never seemed to leave her brain - she remembered the way that Therese looked at her with love and lust mixed in her eyes. The way that she was so gentle with Carol. The way they kissed. It _was_ just sex, but it felt like so much more than that. How could she possibly know what Therese was thinking if she didn’t ask her?

“I don’t know, Abby. It certainly sizzled between us, but I don’t know if that was because she hadn’t had sex in a while or because she has feelings.”

“What about with Fiona? Was the sex as hot with her?”

“Yes, but not like it was in that hotel,” Carol said confidently, shaking her head. “It’s never been that hot with anyone else for me. It’s always hot with Therese.”

“You know what you should do?”

“What?”

“Talk. To. Her.”

“No. No, I told you I’m not putting her in that position again. I can’t. I won’t. I love her too much to do that to her again.”

“Who said you’re going to hurt her again?”

“I didn’t say I would, I just said that I’m not going to put her in the position where I _can_ hurt her.” Carol was adamant about not hurting Therese again. Therese needed her as a friend over anything else. The woman was still getting over the death of her wife and Carol wouldn’t even feel right trying to talk her into a relationship with her. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, Abby.”

“All right.” Abby held her hands up in surrender. “Tell me about your mother, then. How is she?”

“She’s a lot different since my dad died.”

“Oh yeah?”

“You wouldn’t even know her,” Carol said with a laugh.

“And Rindy?”

“She’s good. She likes spending time with me, so I guess that’s a good thing. She’ll be down here next week. I’m excited to see her again.”

“Well, maybe I’ll stay long enough to see her.”

“I think she’d like that.”

* * *

Carol was preparing to see Rindy again. She was still nervous since this was only her second visit with her daughter since getting out of prison. It helped having Abby there to bring her down to Earth and ensure she wouldn’t go insane worrying about the visit. 

In the week and half that had passed since Abby came to visit, Carol had helped Therese find photography classes and helped her with the enrollment. She loved how excited Therese was to start a new career path and she wanted to help with anything that she needed. The two of them still hadn’t spoken about their night in the hotel and Carol thought it was probably for the best. Leaving Therese all those years ago had sealed her fate for any future romantic relationship with the woman. So, Carol had decided that she would be the best friend that she could be. 

Once Rindy arrived, Carol had decided that she, Abby and Rindy would walk down to one of the restaurants at the beach and then a walk on the beach before they had a movie marathon night. Rindy had suggested that they walk over to Therese’s to invite her along, but Carol already had that planned in her mind anyway. 

Carol wasn’t prepared for what she was about to see when Therese answered the door in a beautiful blue dress that hugged her in all the right places. Her hair was down, falling right above her shoulders and she was wearing makeup, something that Therese rarely did.

“Hello,” Carol said with a smile, trying not to convey her emotions. She could put two and two together; she wasn’t an idiot. Therese obviously had a date. “You look incredible.”

“Oh,” Therese said and looked down at her dress. “Thank you.” She gave a shy smile.

“Where are _you_ going?” Abby asked the question that Carol knew she couldn’t.

“I actually have a date.”

The words rang in Carol’s ears and she hoped that her disappointment wasn’t showing. She hoped that the smile that she plastered on her face didn’t look too fake. A date? This is when it all hit Carol. Why hadn’t she spoken to Therese about that one night? That one incredibly sexy night. Why didn’t she tell Therese that she was crazy about her? That she was in love with her. 

“It was last minute,” she said, looking over at Carol.

“Well, good for you,” Abby said when Carol couldn’t seem to speak.

“That’s wonderful,” Carol said, when she finally got her bearings, hoping that she didn’t seem too wounded.

“We wanted you to come with us.” It was Rindy’s turn to speak and Carol was thankful that there were other people there to pick up the conversation when she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Therese replied. “Maybe tomorrow night we can do something.”

“Can we, Mom?” Rindy asked her mother.

“Of course,” Carol said and looked at Therese. “Well, we won’t keep you.”

“Actually, could I talk to you for a moment?” she asked, looking at Carol and Abby took Rindy away.

“Sure. What’s wrong?”

Therese sighed. “Is this too soon? I mean, should I be dating already?”

“Oh. Well, there’s no manual on dating after a spouse dies, but I think if you’re ready, then it’s okay.”

“Okay.” Therese looked down at her feet and Carol wondered what she was thinking. “I’m really nervous.”

“You’ll be fine,” Carol assured her. “It’s just a date. People do it all the time. It’s not like you’re getting married,” she said with a chuckle, trying to make Therese smile.

“I know we never talked about … what happened in the hotel, but … are you okay with this? Me going on a date?”

“Me? Oh yeah, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me and what I think. If you want to date, you’re free to do that.” Wow, it was almost impossible to say those words, but she didn’t want to be the one to stand in the way of Therese’s happiness; she only wished that she was the reason for it.

“ _Should_ we talk about what happened?”

“I don’t think we need to. We had sex.” Carol shrugged it off. “There’s really nothing else to say about it. Unless _you_ want to talk about it.”

“Okay.” Was that disappointment? _Did_ she want to talk about it? The last thing that Carol wanted to do was talk about the mind-blowing sex that she had with her right before Therese was about to go on a date.

“Look,” Carol said and took Therese’s hand. “It was fun. I enjoyed myself and I think that you did as well,” she continued with a smirk that made Therese smile. “But sex doesn’t have to be anything else but sex. We decided that night that we wanted each other and there’s nothing wrong with that. Two people who needed each other at the right time.”

“I really enjoyed that night with you,” Therese said, softly.

“And that’s what was supposed to happen,” Carol replied. “Now, about your date, have fun and don’t overthink it, okay?”

“Thanks.”

“You look stunning, by the way. She’d be a fool not to fall in love with you after one look of you in that dress.”

“Thank you, Carol.”

“Have a nice time,” Carol said and kissed her on the cheek.

It took everything in Carol not to break down when she met up with Abby and Rindy. This was another time when Abby knew to be quiet. She put her arm around Carol and pulled her against her. Carol was thankful for the gesture, for Abby’s closeness in that moment.

“You all right, blondie?” she asked, gently.

“No,” Carol replied. “Not even a little bit.”

They walked along, with Rindy asking Abby questions about her job and what it was like to “play with bugs” all day. Carol knew that she had to pull it together for Rindy. She didn’t get much time with her daughter and she had to make the most of it. But at that moment, the only thing that Carol wanted to do was go home, crawl into her bed, under the covers and not wake up for a really long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Therese has a date?!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the date (but not really). Hopefully, I've redeemed myself with this chapter ...

After their movie marathon and Rindy had gone to sleep, Carol and Abby sat in the kitchen drinking wine. Since Rindy was spending the week with her, Carol thought it was a good idea that they stay at her mother’s house since her mom wanted to spend time with Rindy as well.

Carol and Abby were the only two awake and Carol was thankful that Abby was the one to wear out Rindy. She was grateful for that since she wasn’t able to fully entertain her daughter the way that she should have.

“You want to talk about it?” Abby asked.

“Do I have to?” Carol spent the better part of the night trying to keep her mind off of it. She felt that she did a pretty decent job of trying to hide her pain. It was the only choice she had. Wallowing in self pity wasn’t an option.

“You don’t have to, but we can if you want to.”

“What’s there to say, Abby? She’s dating,” Carol said with a shrug. “I’m not going to lie - it hurts. But I’m also not going to be the one to stand in the way of her happiness.”

“What did she want to talk to you about?”

“Just that she was nervous and if it was too soon for her to be dating. We also finally talked about _that_ night.”

“What’d you tell her?”

“That it was just sex. She asked me if I was okay with her dating and I told her that she didn’t need to worry about what I think and that she’s free to date whomever.”

“She wants to know what you think about it,” Abby replied. “She’s worried about your feelings.”

“And?”

“Carol, I’ve seen the two of you over the last week and a half. She has feelings for you.”

“Not you, too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Fiona said the same thing to me. That’s why she ended things with me because she thinks that Therese has feelings for me and she already knows how I feel about her.”

“Oh my god, what the hell have you been waiting for?” Abby asked, exasperated. “And if you say one more time that you don’t want to hurt her, that’s bullshit. You’re fucking scared. That’s what your problem is.”

“What the hell does that mean? I’m not fucking scared,” Carol replied defensively. What did she have to be scared of?

“I mean that it’s easy to be her friend and sleep in the same bed and have sex with her. Relationships take work and you’re scared of that.”

“Can you blame me? I don’t exactly have an excellent track record, Abby.”

“Carol, I know you. When you love someone, you give it everything you have. She’d be lucky to have you. I’m sure she knows that.”

“What do I have to offer her, Abby? Why would she want a forty-three year old ex-felon who can no longer use the degree that she has, lives with her mother and can’t even be a mother to own child?” Finally, Carol broke down and started crying. “Who would want that, Abby? I’m not enough for her.” Carol felt completely defeated. 

“Oh, Carol. You’re so much more than that.” Abby moved her chair next to Carol and pulled her in for a hug. “How could you ever think that you’re not enough for her? You’re the most amazing woman I know, Carol. You’re kind and intelligent. You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. You have your own business because of your amazing talent and you’re an excellent mother.”

But Carol didn’t see herself the way that Abby did. She only felt that she wasn’t good enough for any woman, really. Especially the one that she was in love with. Therese deserved so much more than what Carol had to offer and she wasn’t going to be the one to stop her from finding that.

She was thankful to have Abby’s shoulder to cry on in that moment. Facing this situation alone would have been too difficult for her. 

“I can almost guarantee that if you told her that you’re in love with her, she’d tell you that she feels the same way,” Abby said while stroking Carol’s back. “I see how she looks at you when you’re not looking. Take a chance, Carol. Sweetheart, you’ve tortured yourself long enough with what happened in the past. Leave it in the past.”

“I’m too late,” Carol replied, knowing how pathetic her sobbing sounded.

“It was one date, Carol. She’s not going to marry this woman. Tell her how you feel. That’s probably what she was looking for tonight when she asked you how you felt about it. She might be scared of her feelings for you as well and was looking for you to make the first move.”

* * *

Therese tried to enjoy her date with Emily. She was a nice enough woman and they got along fairly well, but she couldn’t get Carol out of her mind. It was true that the date was last minute, but she decided to go to try to get over her feelings for Carol. 

It had been difficult to decipher the look on Carol’s face when she said that she had a date. She seemed happy for her, but there was something else in Carol’s eyes that Therese thought was sadness. Carol was quick to hide her feelings, covering it up with a smile and Therese certainly didn’t expect the answer from her about her dating. But isn’t that what she was really hoping for in order to try to get over Carol? For Carol to tell her that she didn’t need to ask her for permission? So, then why was she feeling so terrible?

Emily was a sweet woman that was a nurse at the hospital. She had been excited to see Therese back to work the same day that she quit and texted Therese three hours before the date to ask her out. When nothing was happening with Carol, Therese decided to take a chance and see how it would pan out. So far, it just wasn’t working for Therese. She couldn’t help but wish that the woman sitting across from her was Carol. At the same time, she didn’t want to use this woman; it felt wrong to her. So, she decided that at the end of the night, she would tell her that she didn’t want to date her anymore and that they should just be friends.

When Therese got home, her house felt empty without Carol. The last time that she had slept in her own home without someone there was the night that she decided she needed to try to be alone and told Carol not to stay with her. Since then, Carol had spent every night with her. 

Therese went upstairs to change and pulled open the drawer to her nightstand to grab a book, thinking that reading may help her fall asleep. She hadn’t read in way too long and she’d always been a bookworm. But between taking care of Liz and work, she didn’t have the time. Now, she’d finally have time to get back to reading.

When she opened her book, an envelope fell out with Liz’s handwriting. Therese froze, unable to breathe. How long had that been there? She took a deep breath and opened it.

>   
>  My darling,  
>  By the time you get this, I’ll be long gone. I know this because you never read. All you do is take care of me and work. You’ve barely had time to eat or sleep. Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated it. You’re my heroine. I’d be completely lost without you. No other woman in my life compares to you. I’m hoping that you’re not crying too much as you’re reading this, but I know you are. I know you too well.
> 
> I’m writing this because I want to tell you to live your life to the fullest, not to get hung up on small things and be quick to forgive people. Life is way too short to stay angry over stupid misunderstandings. I know that your life is going to be full of love and people who love you. 
> 
> I hope that you’re trying to move on and enjoy your life. I know that I’ve enjoyed every day that I got to spend with you. You were my life, darling, and I want you to be happy and to find happiness after me. 
> 
> All my love forever,  
>  Liz  
> 

By the time that Therese made it to the end of the letter, she was sobbing. Of course Liz would find a way to speak to her after death. _Typical Liz._ Therese missed her fiercely. She was her best friend - the one that Therese could talk to about anything. She didn’t have that anymore. Therese didn’t have many friends or anyone that she could seek advice from about her situation. But wasn’t the advice that she was looking for in the note from Liz?

Therese reread the note a few times, but it only made her heart ache for Liz even more, so she put the note away. And reading was futile at this point, so she grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts to Carol’s name. She decided to text her and tell her that she missed her. It wasn’t a lie; she truly missed her not being there.

>   
>  Hope Rindy’s not wearing you out too much, LOL! Miss you over here … -T  
> 

She was surprised when she saw Carol typing in response. Her heart pounded as she waited.

>   
>  Abby’s done a fine job of wearing her out for me! Rindy didn’t even make it through one movie before she was passed out. And what are you doing awake, missing me? Didn’t you have a lovely date tonight? Did she fall madly in love with you? ;) -C  
> 

Therese laughed at Carol’s message and the dramatic way that she pictured Carol to speak the “madly in love with you” line. Carol could always make her laugh or smile, something that was difficult lately, but Carol always knew how to do it.

>   
>  I doubt she fell “madly in love” with me, but yes, it was a lovely date. However, I don’t think I’m ready to date. I think I jumped the gun on that one … -T
> 
> That’s too bad. It’s certainly a good thing for you to get out and date. Or meet new people instead of me boring you all the time. -C
> 
> You never bore me. -T
> 
> Apparently! You had a date tonight, yet here you are, after midnight, texting me. -C
> 
> I told you already. I miss you over here … -T
> 
> Well, what are you doing over there? You’re welcome to come over and spend the night if you miss me so much. -C
> 
> Are you sure? I mean, isn’t there a full house over there? -T
> 
> Don’t be silly, you can sleep with me. -C  
> 

That thought heated Therese inside and turned her to liquid. She had been beyond horny lately and hadn’t taken care of any of her needs in a while. But the reason for her state of perpetual arousal had just told her that they could sleep together. Not unlike any other night, she would gladly sleep with Carol, but in her heightened state of arousal, sleeping next to her would prove difficult. So, Therese decided that she’d _have_ to take care of the throbbing between her legs before she climbed into bed with the gorgeous blond goddess down the street.

>   
>  Okay. Be over in a bit. -T
> 
> Can’t wait! -C  
> 

Therese threw her phone down on the bed and reached into her drawer to pull out her vibrator. Ah, her favorite one. She had charged it a few days before in case she’d need it. After months of not pleasuring herself alone, she was more than ready for this. Images of Carol ran through her mind and had been all night, even on her date. Especially after the incredibly mind-blowing sex that they had shared in some random hotel, Therese couldn’t stop thinking about a naked Carol. How fucking erotically sexy she had been that night and so confident. Therese loved that she wasn’t ashamed to touch herself for her or take what she wanted from her.

Therese undressed completely, enjoying the naughty feeling of being naked and about to feel herself. She opened her legs wide, imagining that she was putting herself on display for Carol, that this was a personal show for the woman she was about to sleep next to tonight. She skimmed her fingers along her pussy, delighting in the abundant wetness she found. Her pussy was more than ready for some much needed attention. She pushed hard and felt her clit, swollen against her fingertip. Oh, how badly she needed this. 

She moved her other hand to her breast and pinched her nipple, feeling it harden in her fingertips. While she continued to move her fingers lazily through her swollen pussy lips, she closed her eyes and pictured Carol. The way that she climbed on top of Therese to sit on her face was an image that was seared into her brain. The memory made her pussy flood with want. The wet pussy connecting perfectly with her face and mouth, the way that Carol moved from side to side to swallow Therese’s face with her pussy. Therese felt her own walls clench around nothing. She hadn’t even brought the vibrator into play and she was already convulsing. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and slid a finger inside with a gasp.

With the push of a button, she turned on the vibrator, happy to already find it on her favorite setting, but turned the vibrations on stronger. She gently placed it on her clit, trying not to burst the second it collided with her throbbing need.

“Fuck!” she cried out. “Oh shit!”

Her legs twitched and her hips automatically thrust, riding nothing but the air and her vibrator. She forced her hips back down against the bed and moved her finger in and out of her dripping hole. The last set of fingers inside of her were Carol’s and the thought made her shudder. Oh god, Carol’s long delicate fingers stroking her so perfectly inside while her tongue lapped languidly at her clit and her thumb probing backward to her even tighter hole. 

“Carol,” she whispered. “Fuck me,” she said as she slid another finger inside and moved it faster. In her mind, they were Carol’s fingers pumping inside of her.

She bumped up the intensity of the vibrations when she felt her orgasm building and thought about the way that Carol called her “baby” during their passionate love making. _Do you like that, baby? The way I taste right before I’m about to come in your mouth?_

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuuuuck!” she cried out as she came while Carol’s words rang through her ears. She came hard, liquid squirting out of her and all over her bed. “Holy shit!” She definitely wasn’t prepared for _that_. Her head fell back hard against the pillow and she gasped for air. Oh, how badly she desperately needed that orgasm.

“Carol,” she whispered to herself and tears fell from her eyes. “God, how I need you, Carol.”

If only she could find the courage to say those words to her …


	17. Chapter 17

“So? How was your date?”

Therese had a difficult time looking Carol in the eye after her solo pleasure session and she wondered to herself why she thought it was a good idea to take her up on her offer of spending the night and sleeping in her bed. It had been way too long since they shared a bed.

She realized that Carol was waiting for a reply and shook her head back to reality.

“Oh, yeah! Like I said, it was good, but it’ll be a while before I’m dating again. There was one good thing that came out of it besides just remaining friends with her.” Therese took a seat on the couch next to Carol, but not _too_ close.

“What was that?”

“She has a friend that she said has a gallery and he’s looking for local photographers to show some work. She said that she’d recommend me.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“I suppose, but I don’t really have anything to show. I don’t have a portfolio or anything.”

“No, but you can put one together. You have plenty of photos and I can help you put it together.” 

Ugh, why did she have to be so helpful? Therese could see the hurt in her face earlier when she realized that she had a date. Yet, here she was, offering to help Therese once again. She felt completely undeserving of any of Carol’s kindness. 

“You know, you don’t have to help if you don’t want to. You’ve already been more than helpful to me. I’m really not sure that I can ever repay you.”

“I’m not asking for repayment,” Carol said, softly. “I’m your friend. I’m not sure how many times I need to tell you that.” She playfully poked Therese in the ribs.

“Stop,” Therese said, laughing. “You know how ticklish I am.”

“Just trying to get a laugh out of you.”

“I just wasn’t sure _if_ you’d still want to help me,” she replied after she finally stopped giggling.

“What do you mean?” Carol asked, confusion written all over her face.

“Well … I saw the hurt look on your face earlier when you realized I had a date.” She couldn’t look at Carol when she answered.

“I wasn’t hurt.” Carol looked down at her fidgeting hands in her lap. 

“Carol …” she said with a sigh. “Please don’t lie to me.”

“Okay. I guess ever since our night in the hotel … it just stirred feelings inside of me that … I don’t know, I wasn’t expecting. That’s all. And I just wasn’t expecting to see you going on a date yet. I was surprised.”

“What kind of feelings?” Therese needed to know, but was also afraid of hearing the answer.

“Feelings that I used to have for you.” Carol shifted on the couch, clearly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation.

“Oh …” Isn’t that what Therese really wanted to hear? Why did it terrify her, though?

“But you don’t have to worry about me acting on them. I respect our friendship too much for that. I respect _you_ too much for that.”

“Do you regret that night? I mean, if you would have known now that you’d have felt that way after, would you still have done it?”

“No, I don’t regret that night. At all.” Carol rested her head on the back of the couch, staring at the ceiling. “And to answer your other question, yes, I would’ve still done it. I have no regrets about that night whatsoever. It was a wonderful night,” she said, smiling. “Do you regret it?” she asked, hesitantly.

“No,” Therese instantly replied. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve thought a lot about that night and how special it was to me. It felt so good to have someone look at me the way that you did.” Therese couldn’t help the blush the crept to her cheeks. “I felt so sexy,” she said, softly.

“You _are_ sexy.”

She felt her face grow even hotter at those words. “It’s just been a while since I’ve felt like that. It was nice. And you were …” She looked over at Carol and shook her head, smirking. “Well, you were amazing.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I guess I’m not out of practice, then? I mean, I feel like I didn’t do much.”

“Oh, sweetheart. You did _so_ much. And no, you’re not out of practice.”

* * *

Once Carol finally convinced Therese that she could sleep with her and not on the couch, they made it to Carol’s bed. Therese told her that she wouldn’t feel right about sleeping with her after what she had told her, but it truly didn’t bother Carol to have Therese in bed with her. Even if it wasn’t the right decision for her heart, she needed to feel Therese against her at night. The fact was that she had missed sleeping with her. She missed waking up in the middle of the night to find Therese’s tiny frame snuggled against her like Carol was a safe haven for her. That’s what she wanted: to make her feel safe. 

Therese hesitated to climb into bed with her, but once she did, Carol pulled her against herself. “It’s okay, Therese.”

“I just don’t want it to be awkward or anything.”

“I don’t think it’s awkward. Truth is, I’ve missed sleeping with you.”

“Me, too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Carol had not been completely honest with Therese earlier and she felt slightly guilty about it. She told her that her feelings for her bubbled up only once they slept together. The truth was that her feelings for Therese had never gone away. She’d always had feelings for her, even once she left. And as hard as she tried to get over them, she never could. She’d always been in love with the woman next to her. Always. 

Once they both finally became comfortable against each other again, Carol wondered how she’d be able to maintain a friendship with Therese when her feelings were so strong. How was she supposed to just turn off her feelings? And would she be able to handle seeing Therese date again? Seeing her earlier, dressed up for a date, hurt so badly that she broke down when she and Abby were alone. She’d need to find a way to pluck up her courage.

“You really did look beautiful tonight, by the way.” She wasn’t sure if she was talking to herself because Therese hadn’t moved in a while and there was nothing but silence.

“Thank you.” She heard the sleepy reply from Therese. “It felt weird to be dressed up, but it was nice, I suppose.”

How desperately Carol wanted Therese to be dressed up for her, to be the one to take her on a date. She never asked Therese if she reciprocated Carol’s feelings, not feeling that it would be appropriate since everything that she had been through with Liz’s death. She was also terrified of what the answer could be.

Carol woke up later than usual the next morning. She was pleasantly surprised to still see Therese asleep beside her. Then she wondered if anyone had seen Therese in bed with her. Well not just anyone, Rindy. If she did, it would probably be weird to see Therese in bed with her mother.

She carefully removed Therese from herself without waking her and went downstairs to find Abby in the kitchen.

“Well hello, Sleeping Beauty. Late night? Wait, let me guess, Therese kept you up all night?” Abby had a devilish smirk on her face.

“Not in the way you think,” she said, pouring herself some coffee. “We stayed up talking, that’s all.”

“Sure, talking.” She emphasized the word with air quotes and Carol rolled her eyes.

“Yes, talking. That’s all.”

“I’m assuming her date didn’t go well since she ended up in bed with you. Maybe for you that’s a good thing.”

“Where’s Rindy?” Carol asked, looking for a subject change and curious as to why her daughter didn’t wake her up.

“She went to the store with your mother.”

“Oh.”

“She was going to wake you up, but found you in bed with Therese.”

“Shit.”

“Mmhmm. She came to get me. She was a little confused, but I told her the two of you are just friends. It doesn’t matter if you are or not, though. It’s not like you can’t sleep with a woman. Are you out to her?”

“I’m pretty sure she knows, but we’ve never had a conversation about it. Should I talk to her about it, though?”

“If you feel you need to, but Rindy doesn’t have a prejudice bone in her body. I really don’t think that she’d care, especially if you think she already knows.”

“That’s true.”

“What’d you two talk about anyway?”

Carol was grateful to hear Therese’s footsteps so that she wouldn’t have to continue the conversation. She was tired of going over it with Abby, even though her best friend was only trying to help. 

“Good morning,” Therese said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“There’s coffee,” Carol said and sat down at the table.

“Hello, sleepy head,” Abby said. “How was your date last night?”

Carol shook her head, a moment when she wanted to kill Abby. Her best friend was fishing for information.

“It was all right,” Therese replied.

“Couldn’t have been that great if you ended up in bed with Carol.” Carol kicked her underneath the table. “Ow.” Abby glared at Carol

Therese chuckled to herself and sat down after fixing her coffee. “Oh Abby, don’t ever change. The truth is that the date was all right. I just don’t think I’m ready to date yet. I think it was too soon. As for ending up in bed with Carol, that’s really nothing new to me. Or her, for that matter.”

Carol could have kissed Therese on the mouth, right there. She could go toe to toe with Abby and Carol loved it. Sometimes, Abby needed something or _someone_ to shut her up and Therese did exactly that. Carol sipped her coffee, raising her eyebrows at Abby.

“It seems I’ve underestimated you, Belivet,” Abby replied.

“You shouldn’t,” Therese said with a challenging smile.

“I won’t from now on.”

“How long do you plan on staying for, Abby?” Therese asked.

“Probably only for a couple more days. I have to get back to work.”

“Will you come back for another visit soon?”

“As soon as I can. I’m dying to hear if the two of you have another wild night in a hotel room.”

“Abby!” Carol chided and watched Therese’s face turn bright red.

“I take you you’ve heard about it?” Therese asked.

“Not details, but yeah.”

“Abby, shut the fuck up,” Carol replied, exasperated.

“It’s fine, Carol,” Therese assured. “She’s your best friend. I understand.”

“But still …” Carol shook her head and wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“It’s fine,” Therese said, waving her hand. With a sigh she said, “well, I should get going.”

“Don’t let me run you off,” Abby replied.

“You’re not. I need to shower.” She turned to Carol. “Thanks for being there for me last night.”

“No problem. If you have nothing planned today, you can hang out with us.”

“Sounds good. I have some of Liz’s earrings for Rindy that she wanted her to have.”

“I’m sure she’ll love them.”

After Therese said her goodbyes, Carol turned to Abby, poised to strike. Fortunately for Abby, Carol’s mother and daughter chose to enter the kitchen, but Carol was going to give her an earful later when they were alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little progress ...


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm sorry I haven't replied to comments. It's been an eventful week, but I appreciate all of them and every single one of you for reading. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

Once Abby and Rindy went back home, Carol was back to her normal routine of work and painting. She had been staying with her mother, not wanting to be an intrusion in Therese’s life. Therese had only been on the one date, but Carol didn’t want to be a distraction for Therese if she wanted to date.

So, Carol was the one to make the decision to stay with her mother. It gave Therese the freedom to date if she wanted, even though she was adamant that she wasn’t ready to date anyone. 

Carol was surprised to find Therese at the door to her shop when she arrived that morning. She hadn’t seen her since Abby and Rindy left three days before. 

“Hey, stranger. What are you doing here?”

“I haven’t seen you in a few days. I thought that we could talk? Now that we’re alone.”

“Yeah, come in.” Carol opened the door and went to the back with Therese following her. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, we just … we haven’t been alone in a while. I just wanted to ask how you really felt about me going on that date. I want to know that you’re okay with it …”

“Therese,” Carol interrupted. “I already told you that you’re free to date. I’m fine with whatever you want to do. I told you before that you don’t need my permission.”

“It just seemed like you were uncomfortable with it.”

“I’m not,” Carol lied. “I was just surprised, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting to see you going on a date.” She hoped that she was able to make it seem believable.

“How was the rest of your time with Rindy?” Carol hoped that was Therese’s way of changing the subject because she didn’t want to talk about Therese dating.

“It was good. I think she really enjoyed Liz’s earrings that you gave her. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Actually, I did. Liz wanted her to have them. I also came down to give you this.” Therese handed Carol a box. “Liz wanted you to have it. I completely forgot about it, but I found it the other day.”

“What is this?” Carol opened the box and found Liz’s necklace that she wore everyday. It was a simple necklace; a perfectly round circle with diamonds in it. “Oh my god, I can’t accept this, Therese.”

“Please take it. She really wanted you to have it. Here.” Therese took it out of the box and unclasped it to place it on Carol’s neck. Carol held her hair up for Therese to clasp it. Having her this close was maddening to her senses. She smelled so delicious. Carol fought to pull her close and kiss her.

“Thank you,” she whispered when Therese was finished. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Therese pulled her head down gently and kissed her. Jesus, those lips were perfect, soft, warm.

“Fuck,” Therese said when she pulled back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” 

She turned to leave and Carol found herself grabbing Therese by the wrist and pulling her into the back room. She continued the kiss from seconds ago, only this time, harder and deeper, her intentions blatantly obvious. 

Carol used her body to push Therese against the wall. She fumbled with the buttons on Therese’s shorts, but was able to unbutton them and pull them down along with her underwear. Therese grabbed Carol's hand and pushed it between her legs.

“Fuck me … please,” she begged. “Please, Carol.”

Carol ran her fingers through Therese’s slit, coating her fingers and moved her hand up to rub her clit. She was beyond wet and it made Carol’s entire pussy throb. She pulled one of Therese’s legs up to easily slide a finger inside. Therese wrapped her arms around Carol’s neck and held on as Carol fucked her.

“Another finger,” she panted.

Carol pulled out and watched Therese’s face as she slid two fingers inside. It was erotic to watch her eyes roll back as her head fell against the wall. Her thumb was slippery against Therese’s clit. The woman was so wet, she was dripping. Carol couldn’t resist sucking on the delicate skin of Therese’s neck.

It wasn’t enough to have her mouth on her neck; she needed to taste that delicious pussy. She knelt down and propped one of Therese’s legs on her shoulder while she sucked her into her mouth. She sucked from Therese’s entrance to her clit, making lewd noises along the way. While she fucked her with her fingers, she sucked on her clit, anxious for the moment that Therese would come. It wasn’t long; Therese had been more than ready. She came hard, moaning Carol’s name and holding onto her head. Carol rested her head momentarily against Therese before pulling up her underwear and shorts, helping her dress. She wiped her face with a towel that she had found while Therese buttoned her shorts.

“That was …”

“Unexpected,” Carol interrupted, unable to look at Therese. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Well, I did,” Therese said, causing Carol to laugh.

“You certainly did.” Carol glanced over her shoulder at Therese. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Me neither,” she said, blushing. “I shouldn’t have started anything. I’m sorry.”

“Hey. Don’t apologize.” Carol went over and hugged Therese. “It was nice.”

“It _was_ nice.” They awkwardly pulled apart. “I should probably go.”

“Right.” Carol walked her to the door.

“Oh, I almost forgot. The reason why I came here is because I’m showing some pictures on Friday night at a gallery. It’s an exhibit of local artists. I wanted to invite you. If you want to go. I’d understand if you didn’t.”

“That’s fantastic! Of course I’ll be there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you later.” Therese opened the door and turned around. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

When Therese left, Carol stood at the counter trying to process what had transpired between them and how quickly it all happened. If it wasn’t for the fact that she could still smell Therese on her face, she would have thought that it was a dream. She picked up her phone to call Abby; she _needed_ to talk to someone about what just happened.

“Hey there. Miss me already?”

“Oh my god, Abby.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to tell someone and you’re the only person I can talk to about this.”

“Okay?”

“I came into work this morning and Therese was waiting for me, saying that she wanted to talk to find out how I felt about her dating and before I knew what was happening, I was fucking her.”

“Holy shit!”

“I know.”

“You fucked her?”

“Not only that, but I went down on her.”

“Jesus, Carol!”

“I know. What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“What happened the last time? The two of you didn’t talk about it, right?”

“Not really. I mean, we decided that night that it was just sex, but there wasn’t any talking this time. She kissed me and then turned to leave and I pulled her into the back room and kept kissing and then she was begging me to fuck her. Jesus Christ, I don’t know what to do,” Carol rattled off in one breath.

“First of all, breathe.”

“I’m freaking out, Abby. How could I be so fucking stupid?”

“Wait, she begged _you_ to fuck _her_?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, okay. Just try not to let it affect you.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Maybe the two of you should just finally tell each other that you’re in love with each other. I’ve seen the two of you together and that woman is crazy about you. Fucking tell her already.”

It seemed like such a simple solution, but it terrified Carol to even think about telling Therese about her true feelings. Fucking her was easier than facing her fears.

“I don’t know, Abby.”

“Well, I gave you advice. It’s up to you to do what you want with it.” Carol sighed into the phone. “Listen to me, the two of you could be extremely happy if one of you would just make the first step. Just think about it, Carol.”

“Fine.”

“By the way, congratulations for going down on her. Was it good?”

Carol shook her head and laughed. It was just like Abby to get a laugh out of Carol when she was freaking out. “Hell yeah, it was good. Fucking incredible.”

“It could be like that all the time.”

“I know, I know. I’ll think about it.”

“Good. I’m sorry, babe, but I have to get back to work.”

“Thanks, Abby.”

“No problem. Talk to her.”

“I’ll think about it. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Carol spent the rest of the day trying to paint, but it was proving difficult after what had happened that morning. Every time she tried to focus on a painting, her mind drifted towards Therese. It seemed she stared at that same spot on the wall every five minutes remembering what happened.

* * *

By the time Friday night came around, Carol’s mind had been in overdrive. She had run a thousand different scenarios of how to tell Therese about her feelings and in her head, it never came out right or how she wanted it to.

Carol stood in front of her mirror and stared at her clothes. Nothing seemed right for the occasion or maybe she was just nervous about seeing Therese. She wanted to look nice, but didn’t want to overdo it. Finally she chose a black pencil skirt and a sleeveless pink satin top. She wore her hair up and the necklace that Therese gave her. That necklace now had a new meaning to her. One that she’d never forget.

Tonight would also be the first time that she’d see Therese since their backroom tryst. Would it be awkward? Could they just continue their friendship as if nothing happened?

“You look nice.” Carol turned around to see her mom standing in the doorway.

“Are you sure? It’s not too much, is it?”

“Not at all. You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

“You look nervous.”

“I am, a little, I guess.”

“About seeing Therese?”

“Yeah,” Carol said and sat on her bed to put on her shoes.

“Why?”

“Umm, well … something happened between us. I’m just nervous about seeing her since then is all.”

“You two had sex? Again?”

“What? What do you mean again?”

“Sweetheart, I know you. So, when did it happen?”

“The other day when she gave me the necklace. And I haven’t seen her since. And it’s probably going to be awkward.”

“I’m not going to get in the middle of it, but you two really need to talk.”

“I know, Mom.” Carol stood up. “I have to go.”

“Have fun, sweetheart.”

The gallery was within walking distance and Carol was there ten minutes later. She grabbed a glass of champagne and wandered around the room. It was obvious to her which pictures belonged to Therese. They were all very excellent pictures, but Carol had assumed that she was biased in thinking that Therese’s were better. 

“Hey.”

Carol turned around to find Therese standing behind her. She gave a quick hug and sipped her champagne.

“Hey, you. These pictures are incredible and you look gorgeous.”

“Oh, thanks,” she said, blushing.

“Personally, I think your pictures are better than anyone else’s,” she whispered. “I’m biased, though.”

“Thanks for showing up. I honestly wasn’t sure if you’d make it or not.”

“Because of the other day? Of course I’d show up. I told you that I wanted to help you with your photography in any way that I could.”

“I appreciate that.”

Someone chose that moment to call Therese away and Carol told her to go do what she needed to do. She didn’t want to take away all of Therese’s time. The thought crossed her mind to tell Therese her feelings, but she decided against it. Her insecurities are what stopped her every time. 

Carol slipped out an hour later without saying goodbye. She wanted to go home and if she were to tell Therese how she felt, it wasn’t going to be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! I wonder if these two will soon have a serious conversation ...


	19. Chapter 19

When Carol arrived back home, she decided to try to paint to keep her mind off of Therese. She was extremely proud of Therese for accomplishing everything that she had set out to do. Her new photography career was finally blossoming and she was delighted to see Therese’s happiness and be a part of it. Liz’s death was difficult for Therese and she finally had something to be excited about. 

The more that she had tried to keep her mind off of Therese, the more difficult it proved to be. Painting was one of the few things in her life that once she started working, she could actually focus on. So, she went to the painting that she had started a few days before. It was a realistically detailed painting of two nude women locked in a tight embrace, sharing a passionate kiss. When she had started the painting, she tried not to picture the women as her and Therese, so she changed some of the details. Having not painted most of the faces yet, she knew that she could paint them as two random women.

Carol hadn’t realized how late it was when she heard a light knock on the door, but when she looked at the time, it was well past one o’clock in the morning. When she went to the door, she was surprised to see Therese standing there.

“Hey.” Carol smiled at Therese’s beaming expression, more than likely from her successful night. “What are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t sleep, I guess,” she said with a shrug.

“I’m surprised you’re not still celebrating your big night.”

“I just got back. I thought I’d see if you’re still awake. What are you doing?”

“Just painting,” Carol replied. “I was just thinking about going to bed.”

“Oh.” Therese shuffled her feet nervously, making Carol wonder what was bothering her.

“You okay?”

Therese nodded and looked down at her feet. She slowly reached for Carol’s hand and her smile faded as she chewed at her bottom lip. Carol looked down at their interlaced fingers as Therese lightly caressed the palm of her hand with her thumb. She felt her breathing deepen when Therese’s eyes met hers.

“Come home with me?” she asked, gazing intently at Carol. “Please?”

Carol’s mind raced at the possibility of spending another night with Therese. How could she possibly pass this up? She loved the woman standing in front of her more than she’d ever loved anyone. Desperate to convey her feelings with a touch, she caressed Therese’s hand. God, how she wanted to kiss her, to feel her soft skin against her own, to show her how much she loved her. No, she had to be strong.

“Therese …”

“Please,” Therese pleaded, cutting off Carol’s rejection.

Forcing herself to be strong was going to be one of the most difficult things that she’d do in her life. She was weak for Therese and her hormones were threatening to take over. Therese looked so hopeful that Carol would say yes and go with her. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Especially after the other day,” she whispered, almost scared to break the spell. “I’m sorry,” she said, regretfully.

Therese nodded and slipped her hand away, but not before giving her an understanding squeeze. Oh, how her hand felt cold without Therese’s fingers interlaced with her own.

“Okay,” Therese replied and took a deep breath. “Thanks for coming tonight. It really meant a lot to me.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“Goodnight, Carol.”

“Goodnight.” 

Carol smiled and watched her walk away. How could she have been so stupid to reject Therese? Her rejection was meant to protect Therese, but Carol seemed to only do the opposite of what she wanted. 

She went inside and shut the door. Placing her head back against the door, Carol couldn’t help but chastise herself for hurting Therese. It seemed that Abby was right and she could hurt her as a friend. Why did Abby have to be right? Why couldn’t Carol just take Therese up on her offer? More importantly, why couldn’t she just tell Therese how she felt? There was no doubt in Carol’s mind that Therese felt the same way that she did, so why was she being so fucking stubborn?

“Did you reject that poor woman?” Carol was startled to hear her mother’s voice. 

“What are you doing up? It’s late.”

“I’m not allowed to be awake?” she asked with a smirk.

“You know what I mean.”

“I guess I woke up when I heard the knocking and then I saw you speaking to Therese. How was her exhibit?”

“It went really well. There was a pretty good turnout.”

“That’s good,” Linda replied. “So, are you going to answer my original question?”

“Does it matter?”

“Did you reject her?”

With a deep sigh, Carol replied “Yeah.”

“May I ask why?”

“You already know why.”

“Could I offer you a suggestion?”

“What, Mom?” Carol was already annoyed with herself and really didn’t feel like discussing it with her mother.

“Go over there and tell her how you feel about her.”

“Ha! Yeah, right. I’m going to bed.” Carol started up the steps, not wanting to have any more of the conversation.

“Carol, stop.” Carol stopped on the second step, but stubbornly refused to turn around. “I’m not kidding, sweetheart. Go over there and tell her how you feel. I think you’ll find out that she feels the same way. Stop being scared of what might happen and embrace what you could have. The two of you are wasting an incredible amount of time not being together when you could just … be together. I mean, what do you really have to lose?”

_Only everything._ Carol turned around to face her mother. “A possible friendship if it backfires.”

“It won’t, darling,” she said, softly. “The way that she looks at you … she’s crazy about you, Carol. You and her are the only two who don’t realize that you’re madly in love with each other. Take a chance.”

She knew her mother was right and that she needed to tell Therese already. If she didn’t, she felt like she may explode. 

“Okay, I’ll go talk to her. But don’t be surprised if I’m back here in five minutes.”

“You won’t be. I’ll be locking the door,” she replied with a grin that made Carol roll her eyes.

Carol grabbed her phone and keys after slipping on a pair of shoes. She made the short walk to Therese’s house and was elated to see that the lights were still on. When she rang the doorbell, she panicked when she realized she had nothing prepared. How would she start? What would she actually say? _Shit._

When the door opened, Carol smiled at how adorable Therese looked in her pajamas and her robe. It was a sight that she knew she could get used to seeing every day for the rest of her life. The idea gave her a sudden boost of confidence.

“Hey.”

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Carol replied. “May I come in?”

“Sure.” Therese stepped aside and shut the door when Carol entered. “Change your mind?” Therese asked, looking slightly confused about her late night visitor.

“Uhh … yes and no.” Carol took a cleansing breath and continued. “Look, I have to tell you something and I’m kind of nervous.”

“What’s wrong?” Therese’s smile faltered.

“I’m in love with you,” she blurted out. “I’m crazy about you. I think about you all the time. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.” Carol shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t have a plan of how to tell you this or what to say. I’m sure that you’re worried about getting hurt by me if … well, if you felt the same way and to be honest, I’m scared of hurting you again. I would do anything to not hurt you again. Fuck, I know I’m rambling, but my mind is all over the place. Look, the point is that I’m in love with you and I wanted you to know.”

Therese looked surprised as Carol stood there, nervous for her response. _Oh hell, this was a mistake. I should go._

“Say _something_ ,” Carol said after the most awkward silence of her life.

“Wow,” Therese replied.

“You know what, just forget that I said anything,” Carol said, feeling extremely embarrassed. “We don’t have to talk about this again.” Carol reached for the door and Therese stopped her.

“Stop. Don’t go.” She held onto Carol’s hand. “I just need a minute to process what you said. I don’t want you to leave. Please don’t leave.”

“Okay.”

“I guess I’m not completely surprised and you’re not wrong about me being scared of getting hurt. But I _do_ believe you when you say that you’ll do anything to not hurt me. I also don’t want that to hinder me from giving myself a chance of being happy again.”

“But when you came over tonight and asked me to come home with you? I mean, was that just you wanting sex from me or … more?”

“More,” she replied with a shy smile that warmed Carol’s heart.

“Really?”

“Well, obviously I wanted sex, but I _do_ want more.”

“So … I guess I should ask you on a date?”

“I think we’re past that, Carol. We already know each other pretty well.”

“I suppose, but I’d like to take you out some time. Somewhere nice that you deserve.”

“You know, I don’t need that.” She pulled Carol closer and whispered, “I only need you.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel obligated or like I’m just an easy choice because of our past.” Carol only wanted to be sure that Therese truly wanted her because Carol was feeling extremely insecure. _I suppose the insecurities will never go away._

“I don’t feel obligated and I would never be with a woman because she’s an easy choice. I’ve thought about being with you for a long time and I really want you, Carol. I’m nervous that it feels like maybe I should be waiting longer to be in a relationship, but I feel so strongly about you.”

Carol pushed a lock of hair behind Therese’s ear and smiled. “Sweetheart, there’s no timeline or rule that says you need to wait a certain amount of time for a new relationship. But if you feel you need to wait, I’ll wait for you.”

“I don’t want to wait. Besides, I think Liz would be happy about you and me.”

“I think she would, too.” Carol felt her heartbeat thundering in her ears as she gazed into Therese’s kind eyes. “So … what now?”

“Kiss me?”

Carol’s hand stroked the soft skin of Therese’s neck and she leaned down to finally kiss those soft lips that she had kissed only days before. It was the perfect, unhurried kiss that she had expected. There was no pressure behind it, either. Just the two of them enjoying the moment.

“Wow,” Carol said when she pulled away. “That was …”

“Yeah.” When Therese bit her bottom lip like that, it made Carol weak. “You were always an amazing kisser.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, baby.”

Therese trailed her fingers down Carol’s neck making it difficult to concentrate. “I love it when you call me that. You said that the night that we had sex in the hotel … it drove me wild.”

“Oh yeah?” Carol asked with a big, stupid grin on her face.

“Yeah.”

“So, uh … what were you doing before I came over?”

“I was about to go to bed. Care to join me?”

“I’d love to.”

Therese led Carol to the bedroom, holding her hand the entire way and Carol was overcome with emotion at the gesture. Carol stopped them before they entered the bedroom.

“Are you sure you want to sleep in there?” She shrugged, not knowing how to approach the fact that it was the bed she shared with Liz. “I would understand if you didn’t want to.”

“Carol, it’s okay.”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“We’ve slept in there before.”

“But it’s different now and I don’t know what you have planned for tonight …”

Therese kissed her before she finished. “It’s okay, Carol. But I really appreciate how much you care. I think it’s sweet.” Therese pulled her in for a hug. “By the way, I haven’t told you … I’m in love with you, too.”

“Yeah?” Carol’s heart soared.

“Yeah. Now,” Therese said with a devious grin. “Come to bed with me.”

“Gladly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we have a love confession! Did you think Carol would be the one to cave first?


	20. Chapter 20

“We can just sleep tonight, if you want,” Carol suggested.

“Seeing you has energized me,” Therese said as she reached for the hem of Carol’s shirt. “Unless _you_ want to sleep. I don’t mind.”

“I don’t want to sleep.” Carol pulled Therese to her, kissing her passionately to convey just how much she didn’t want to sleep. “Right now, I just want you. Right now and always.”

Carol pulled the knot from Therese’s robe and pushed it down off of her slender frame. Therese stood there, seemingly waiting for Carol’s next move. This was always how there sexual relationship was: Therese submitting to Carol. 

“You don’t have to wait for me, sweetheart.”

“I like waiting for you,” she replied with an adorable smile.

“Okay.” She could definitely use this to her advantage and please both of them at the same time. 

Carol sat on the bed and scooted herself to lean her back against the headboard. She watched Therese with a smirk as the younger woman waited. Therese was always so eager to please and enjoyed the praise.

“Undress for me,” Carol commanded and watched as Therese stripped down to nothing. “Good girl,” she purred and Therese smiled, sheepishly. “You’re gorgeous, you know. So beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Therese shyly replied.

“Touch yourself and tell me how wet you are.”

Carol watched, her arousal increasing as Therese moved her fingers through her pussy. When her fingers came away glistening, Carol’s mouth involuntarily opened, desperate for a taste.

“I’m soaked,” Therese replied.

“Perfect.” Carol undressed slowly as Therese’s eyes swept over her body. When she was settled back against the headboard, she said, “Come over here and straddle my thighs.”

Carol was beyond excited with the sight in front of her. She ran her hands along Therese’s thighs, enjoying the softness of the skin under her fingertips. One hand moved to Therese’s ass while her other skimmed over her wet slit and Therese gasped. When her fingers came away sufficiently coated, Carol slowly sucked her fingers clean without breaking eye contact. She delighted in the whimper from Therese as she watched.

“How often do you masturbate?”

Therese turned bright red as she answered. “A few times a week, maybe more. Why?”

“Do you ever taste yourself?”

“No.”

“You should. You taste amazing.” Carol easily slid two fingers inside of Therese and back out, running her fingers along Therese’s lips. “Taste yourself,” she commanded and Therese latched onto her fingers.

“I’d rather taste you,” Therese replied when she finished cleaning Carol’s fingers.

“In due time, my sweet girl,” Carol said with a chuckle.

She leaned forward and sucked Therese’s right breast into her mouth while she pulled her tight against her. Having Therese against her, feeling her, tasting her, inhaling her, it was almost too much for Carol to handle and she felt a tear fall from her eye. She hoped that Therese wouldn’t notice or feel it fall onto her chest.

“Are you okay?” Therese asked and slightly pushed Carol back. “What’s wrong?” she asked when Carol didn’t reply.

Carol felt like a fool for ruining what was happening between them. She needed her confidence right now, not a breakdown because of her emotions. Unable to maintain eye contact, Carol hung her head.

“Carol? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. It’s just …” Carol shook her head and Therese wiped the tears from her eyes, a tender gesture that made Carol feel safe with the woman on top of her. “Never did I ever think I’d have the opportunity to be with you again. There are no words to tell you how happy you make me.” Carol rested her head against Therese’s chest and wrapped her arms around her. It was soothing to feel Therese’s fingers running through her hair and gently massaging her scalp. “I love you so much. I’ve never loved anyone this much in my entire life.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Therese replied. “I love you.”

Carol pulled away and looked up at Therese. “Kiss me,” she whispered. Therese leaned down and kissed her softly. Oh, that kiss …

That kiss held promises of things yet to come. Of the life that they were about to share together. Of the promise that Carol would do anything in her power to never hurt Therese again. 

Deeper and deeper the kiss became until Carol couldn’t stand to have this woman on top of her without her writhing in ecstasy. Without breaking the kiss, Carol slid two fingers inside Therese’s swollen, soaked pussy. Therese gasped and her lips faltered against Carol’s. Her mouth hovered over Carol’s and her fingers dug into Carol’s back. She moaned when Carol’s other hand slid between her ass and down to the tight muscle. Carol applied the slightest pressure and felt Therese’s pussy flood her hand.

“Oh fuck,” Therese moaned. “Hold on,” she said and reached over to her night stand to pull out a bottle of lube. “Here. I want you to stick your finger inside.”

“Are you sure?” Carol asked, not wanting to force her into anything.

“Fuck yes,” she replied with a grin. “Give me your hand.” Therese applied the lube liberally on Carol’s fingers. “One finger and go slow, okay?”

Carol nodded and put her hands back in position. As she slowly fucked Therese with one hand, her other hand massaged lightly between her soft ass cheeks. 

“Is this okay?” Carol asked.

“It’s perfect.”

She could see that Therese was in complete ecstasy, unable to keep her eyes open.

“Slowly ease it in,” she managed to say and Carol slid her finger inside to her first knuckle. The incredibly feminine moans coming from Therese made Carol’s clit throb wildly. “Oh fuck, Carol, that feels so good. A little farther, please,” she begged, panting and Carol slid her finger in to her second knuckle. “That’s perfect. Keep it there.” Carol held her finger in place while she fucked Therese with her other hand.

“You’re sure it’s okay?” 

“It’s so perfect, babe.” She leaned down to kiss Carol.

“I wish that was my tongue back there, baby,” Carol whispered.

“Oh fuck! When you say things like that, you’re gonna make me come.”

“Not until I say so,” she whispered against Therese’s breast and bit down on her nipple. “You know how this works, darling.”

“Fuck,” Therese whimpered. “I know. Try to have a _little_ mercy on me, please.”

“Since you asked so nicely, you get a pass on this one.” Carol continued her assault on both of Therese’s nipples, alternating between sucking, kissing and biting. “You can come whenever you want to, baby.” Therese’s grip on Carol’s back tightened as her hips gently rocked.

“Oh my god, you feel amazing,” Therese said, moaning.

“Not as amazing as your pussy sucking in my fingers and my finger in your delicious asshole,” she whispered. Carol knew that the dirty talk would send Therese over the edge and she smirked as she watched Therese stiffen. God, what a fucking sight she was coming undone from both of Carol’s hands.

Her body shuddered and Carol’s hand became soaked. She sagged against Carol as she fought to stay upright until Carol slowly removed her fingers and she fell fully against her. Carol loved feeling the weight of Therese on top of her. She held on tight as Therese came down from her body draining orgasm. 

“Thank you,” Therese whispered.

“You have a habit of thanking me after giving you an orgasm. You don’t have to thank me, sweetheart.”

Therese chuckled. “I didn’t realize I do it, but I just appreciate it so much.” She moved to pull herself upright and Carol stopped her.

“Just stay right here. You don’t have to move.” Carol rubbed Therese’s back, softly making circles and smiled when she felt goosebumps under her fingers. “I like the way you feel against me,” she whispered. 

“How do you always know exactly what to say?”

“I’m just speaking the truth.”

Carol moved them so that they were lying down, their legs intertwined. She ran her thumb over Therese’s bottom lip and smiled when Therese bit down on it. Therese skimmed her fingers along Carol’s breast and lightly pinched a nipple. Her hand traveled farther down Carol’s body until it reached the apex of her thighs.

“You don’t have to do this,” Carol said and held onto Therese’s wrist. 

“I know. I want to,” Therese replied and Carol let her continue. “Don’t you want me to?” she asked, pushing her thighs apart. She moved her leg over Therese’s hip and felt Therese’s hand gently massaging her pussy.

“Yes, I do,” she replied, her voice cracking when she spoke. She found the simple, easy massage extremely erotic. “Fuck, that feels amazing.” Carol found it difficult to keep her eyes open, especially when Therese’s nimble fingers found her clit and rubbed slow, lazy circles.

“I’ve missed you,” Therese whispered and slid a delicate finger deep inside Carol. 

“Shit,” Carol moaned and pushed herself against Therese’s hand. “More,” she begged. As much as she wanted to control this situation, her resolve crumbled under Therese’s ministrations. There would be other times for Therese’s submission; right now, she was happy to relinquish control.

Therese slid another finger inside and moved to kiss Carol’s neck and whisper in her ear. “I’ve missed your perfect body against mine, your mouth on me, your pussy in my hands and in my mouth.”

“Fucking hell, Therese.” Carol found her hips moving involuntarily, seeking out more of Therese’s hand against her clit. “Rub my clit, baby. Please,” she begged.

“How about I lick it while I fuck you?” she whispered, seductively.

“Oh my god! Yes, please.” Carol watched as Therese positioned her head between her legs. She was rough when she pushed Carol’s thighs open. Her dominance was unexpected and arousing. She pushed her tongue through Carol’s slit and lapped at the juices, making lewd noises through the wetness.

“You’re delicious,” Therese whispered. She slid her fingers back inside Carol and sucked on her clit.

Carol pushed Therese’s head hard against her as she moved her hips against Therese’s face. “Don’t you dare stop.” She felt her muscles tighten as her orgasm began. She looked down to watch Therese’s head bobbing against her. When Therese looked up and maintained eye contact, that was Carol’s undoing. With a loud moan, she came hard and Therese didn’t stop until Carol finally pushed her away.

Her body spent, Carol collapsed on the bed and Therese planted soft kisses on her thighs. Carol envisioned their future with many nights spent together like this; both of them spent from their lovemaking.

Therese finally moved up the bed and Carol held her in her arms, grateful to be there with her. 

“Therese?”

“Hmmm.”

“I’m not good at relationships. The longest one I’ve ever had was with you and I managed to fuck _that_ up. All of my other ones were terrible as well and I don’t want to disappoint you in any way …”

“Stop,” Therese interrupted her with a kiss. “Don’t worry about that. I’m not worried about your past. You’re with me now and that’s all that matters.”

“I just don’t want to fuck it up.” This was Carol’s biggest insecurity: ruining a relationship with Therese … again.

“I know you don’t, which is why you won’t disappoint me.”

“How can you know that? I don’t know that.”

“Because I know how much you love me and I know you don’t want to hurt me again,” Therese replied with a smile. “Don’t overthink it, Carol. If I thought you were going to hurt me, do you think that I’d want you here with me?”

“I suppose not. I’m just so insecure, Therese.”

“Well, I’ll be right here to assure you how much I want you here with me.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Carol replied, honestly. 

“Don’t say that,” Therese whispered. “I know I can’t just tell you to stop being insecure and all of your insecurities will go away, but I don’t want you to feel that you’re not worthy of a relationship or love.”

“I really needed to hear that. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sexy,” Therese said and bit down on Carol’s breast. “As much as I’d like to stay awake and talk and fuck, I’m sleepy.”

“Me too. Besides, we could always continue fucking when we wake up.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Carol pulled the covers over them and held onto Therese. She listened to Therese’s breathing as she quickly fell asleep. Tonight felt like a dream to Carol and she had hoped that when she woke up the next morning that it wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ... was it worth waiting for? I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that. 😉


	21. Chapter 21

Therese woke up, fully aware of the fact that she was naked and sore in so many places. One in particular hadn’t been touched in a _long_ time. She stretched and reached for Carol, but when she opened her eyes, she frowned when she realized that Carol wasn’t there. _Dammit._ She was looking forward to waking up with Carol, but once again, the woman that she made love to the night before was missing. She temporarily wondered if maybe she had dreamt the previous night, but her body told her that it wasn’t a dream. 

The smell of breakfast made her smile because it was just like Carol to wake up and cook for Therese. So she put on a robe and walked downstairs to find Carol at the stove with her back turned. She was sexy in her boy shorts underwear, a tank top and her hair pulled back, but gloriously messy like she had been thoroughly fucked. Therese smiled to herself, remembering the night before.

“Good morning,” Therese said as she approached Carol from behind.

“Hello there, sleepy head.”

“You look sexy.”

“Is that so?” Carol asked as she looked herself up and down. “I think you’re sleep deprived.” She turned around and gave Therese a quick kiss. “Good morning, angel. Did you sleep all right?”

“I slept okay, but you weren’t there when I woke up. You left me alone in bed again. You did that last time, too.”

“Oh.” Carol turned around, avoiding eye contact.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Therese took Carol’s hand to turn her around.

“It’s just … I wanted to leave you alone in case when you woke up and you regretted it, you wouldn’t have to face me. You know, you wouldn’t be naked and feel obligated to me for anything.”

“Oh babe. I don’t regret anything. I was looking forward to waking up naked with you.” Therese slid her hands underneath Carol’s tank top to feel her skin. “Is that why you left that morning at the hotel?”

“I suppose, yeah. I was … scared. I thought you’d regret it and I couldn’t handle it if you did. If I would’ve seen it in your face, it would’ve broken my heart. I guess that’s why I came down here this morning.” A tear slid down Carol’s cheek and her bottom lip quivered.

“Hey,” Therese said as she wiped the lone tear away. “If I didn’t want it to happen last night, I would’ve said no. I want to be with you. When I told you that I’m in love with you, that wasn’t a lie.”

“I’m just so insecure, Therese. I told you last night that I’m not good at relationships and I just don’t want to ruin it.”

“I know, sweetheart. But you know what? I _am_ good at relationships. I’ll happily help you along the way.”

“Okay,” Carol replied with a smile.

“So, how about tomorrow morning, you don’t leave me alone in bed?”

“I won’t.”

“You better not,” Therese said pulling Carol against her.

“Are you hungry? I made breakfast.”

“Not for food,” Therese answered, seductively. Her hands made it to Carol’s breasts and she pinched her nipples.

Carol’s head fell backwards. “Oh fuck, Therese.” 

“See what you could have woken up to …” Therese whispered as she moved her hand into Carol’s underwear and between her legs.

“Wait!” Carol reached over to turn off the stove. “I don’t want to start a fire,” she said, laughing.

“Good call.”

After Carol turned off the stove, Therese gently pushed her onto the table and removed her tank top. Carol grabbed the belt on Therese’s robe and yanked her close, between her legs.

“You’re getting awfully cocky, you know that,” she said, lifting an eyebrow. “You know what happens when you get too cocky, don’t you?” The way she said it made Therese’s pulse quicken. Therese knew that she was in fact pushing her limit with Carol, especially after last night when she pushed her legs open before she licked her to orgasm.

“Yes,” she replied, swallowing hard.

“Last night was a free pass, but today is a new day, sweetheart.” She pulled the knot from Therese’s robe and pushed it down her body to let it fall on the floor. “So tell me. What happens when you get too cocky?” she asked, running a finger along the underside of Therese’s breast.

“I get punished,” Therese replied, quietly.

“Good girl,” Carol purred and massaged Therese’s breast. “What’s your safe word, sweetheart?”

“Unicorn.”

“Good. Now, do you think you deserve to be punished?”

“Yes.” Oh yes, Therese couldn’t wait to be punished.

“Tell me why.”

“For pushing you onto the table and taking off your tank top,” Therese replied, staring at the floor. “And putting my hand in your underwear.”

“At least you know why. Now … bend over the table for me and lie down on your stomach.”

Therese did as she was told, feeling extremely vulnerable, but extremely thrilled to be in this position. She hadn’t been punished in years and the anticipation was killing her. Carol’s hand moved from her neck down to her ass and she gently massaged.

“So beautiful, so perfect,” Carol whispered. “I can’t wait to turn this beautiful ass red.” Therese whimpered and slightly squirmed. “Try to stay still, darling. Hands above your head.”

Therese did as she was told and waited for the delicious sting of the first smack. Carol removed her hand and Therese turned her head to see where she was, but let out a yelp when she felt the first blow to her asscheek. Oh, how she missed that wonderful pain. The next four smacks came and went in a blur and she felt Carol’s hand massaging her.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to stop?” she asked, softly.

“Please don’t.”

“Remember to use your safe word if you need to.”

“Okay.”

The next smacks were even harder and brought tears to Therese’s eyes. Not only because of the pain, but because of how much she missed it. She trusted Carol completely and knew how much Carol loved her to do this for her. Carol knew that Therese craved this and knew her body so well. 

When she realized it was over, she felt Carol’s hands massaging her and then she felt her pulling her off the table.

“My sweet girl. Are you all right?” she asked, wiping the tears from Therese’s face.

Therese was more than all right. She finally felt like herself again. Carol gave her back something that had been lost from her life. Something that disappeared when Liz became sick. Not that Therese minded it because she had to take care of Liz, but it was nice to finally have someone take care of her for once. 

When Therese didn’t answer, Carol took her in her arms and rubbed her back. How could she possibly thank Carol enough for giving her her life back?

“I know you keep telling me to stop thanking you, but what you just did means so much to me.” She tried to hold back the tears, but it was futile at that point. “You’ve given me my life back. That part of me has been missing for so long and … it just feels nice to have someone take care of me for a change.”

“Oh, darling. I’m more than happy to give you whatever you need.”

“How did you know I needed that?”

Carol pulled back and kissed her softly. “Because I know you. I know all about your need to submit and I know it’s been a long time for you.”

“It _has_ been a long time.”

“You look tired,” Carol said as she ran her thumb over Therese’s bottom lip.

“I think you wore me out.”

“Why don’t you go to bed and I’ll bring you some breakfast? Does that sound good to you?”

“It sounds wonderful.”

Carol reached down and handed Therese her robe. “Besides, I haven’t rewarded you for taking your punishment so well. Would you like that, sweetheart?”

“Yes. And if you’ll allow me, I’d like to do the same for you. However you’d like me to.”

“I think I’d like that very much.” Carol reached for Therese’s hand and placed it on her breast. “After all, you _did_ start something that I’d like you to finish.”

“I’d be more than happy to do whatever you want me to.”

“Oh my, such a good girl,” Carol said as she caressed Therese’s cheek. “Go upstairs and I’ll be up there shortly. Stay naked. There’s no point in you wearing clothes,” she said with a wink. “Oh and don’t you dare touch yourself,” she warned.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Therese went upstairs with a big grin on her face and her ass feeling deliciously sore. When Therese had first discovered her need to be punished and dominated, she felt strange, different. But Carol helped her embrace that side of her, the side that made her feel like an outcast. It was confusing for her at first to think that she enjoyed being hurt during sex until Carol explained to her that it was perfectly normal and she wasn’t that different from a lot of people. Carol helped her understand the difference between pleasure and pain and pleasurable pain. When Carol left her, Therese didn’t think that she’d find another woman that would do the things to her that Carol did. When she introduced the idea to her, Liz had been nervous, but eventually became an expert at it.

Therese took off her robe and climbed in bed, careful not to lie on her backside. She couldn’t wait for Carol to come back to bed to take care of her. Carol’s routine after a spanking was to massage the sore area with moisturizer and to make Therese feel loved. The aftercare was one of Therese’s favorite parts of her punishment.

“Hey there, beautiful,” Carol said as she entered the bedroom with a tray full of food. She set it down on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” Therese replied with a smile. “Happy.” She was happy to see that Carol was still only in her underwear. Carol’s body was stunning. All of that surfing had no doubt been the reason why she looked so incredible.

“On your stomach, sweetheart. I’ll be right back.”

Therese pulled back the covers and rolled onto her stomach, anxiously awaiting Carol’s return. The air felt cool against her fiery backside.

“Oh, that’s a gorgeous sight,” Carol said. “All that red is beautiful on you. Are you in pain?”

“I’m okay. It feels good, actually.” Carol climbed onto the bed and straddled her thighs. Therese heard the lotion and then felt her hands massaging her ass. “Mmmm, that feels good.”

“You took your punishment well for someone who hasn’t been punished in a while.”

“I guess I really needed it.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve done that, you know.”

“Really?” That confession surprised Therese. She had assumed that Carol and Fiona had some sort of dominant/submissive relationship. “Not even with Fiona?”

“Well, to be perfectly honest, Fiona is the more dominant one.”

Therese turned her head to find a slight blush on Carol’s cheeks. “Seriously?”

“Mmhmm.”

“You’re not the dominant one with her?”

“No.”

“Wow. I can’t even imagine you being the one getting spanked.”

“What can I say?” Carol shrugged. “It’s true.”

“Are you two still …”

“God, no. I haven’t slept with her since … well since before you met her that day at the store.”

“Why?”

“Why haven’t I slept with her since then?”

“Yeah.”

“Um, well she ended it.”

“Why?” Therese was curious why Carol suddenly seemed so shy.

“She knew how I felt about you and she told me that she could tell that you were in love with me and she didn’t want to stand in the way of my happiness.”

“She knew about your feelings for me?”

“She did.”

“You were in love with me then?”

“I’ve never not been in love with you, Therese. It’s always been you. I tried to push my feelings away, but they were always there,” she said, quietly. “Even after I left you.” Carol laid down next to Therese. “I’ve always loved you, Therese. I never stopped. Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve loved you.”

Therese rolled onto her side and ran her fingers over her initials that were tattooed under Carol’s breast. “Why did you get this tattoo? My initials. Why are they on you?”

“As a reminder, I guess. My own punishment to myself to never forget how much I hurt you.”

“That’s so sad.”

Carol shrugged. “I just wanted you with me all the time and that was one way, I guess. I thought about you all the time, you know. What you were doing. Were you happy? When I went to prison, Mom told me what you were doing with your life and that you were a nurse. That didn’t surprise me; you always liked caring for people. She never told me that she lived down the street from you, but she told me you got married and that you were happy.” Carol took Therese’s hand, softly caressing. “It made me happy to know that _you_ were happy. That you moved on after me. I only ever wanted for you to be happy.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I wish you wouldn’t have held onto that guilt for so long. You need to forgive yourself for that.”

“It’s difficult for me to do that. It’s not easy for me to get that image of you at the bus station that day out of my head. Every time I try to forgive myself, that image comes back to haunt me and then I feel that I don’t deserve to forgive myself or that I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“Look at me, Carol. You deserve forgiveness. Everyone does. Don’t punish yourself forever because you made one bad decision. I’ve forgiven you. It’s time to forgive yourself.”

“I’ll try,” Carol said with a nod.

“Good, because I want you with me and I don’t want you to feel guilty about it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now, I think we were going to finish something. Weren’t we?”

“I think we should eat before our food gets colder than it already is. Also, you’ll need your energy.”

“Mmmm, excellent idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Was it hot enough? 😉


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated sooner! I hope you enjoy this one!

“How’s your ass?” Carol asked. Oh, how she loved turning that ass pink. It had been far too long since she had administered a spanking.

“It’s fine. You’re sweet to worry, but I’m okay.”

They were lying in bed after eating their breakfast and taking a short nap. Carol was basking in the afterglow of being with Therese. She ran her fingers through Therese’s hair and smiled. 

“I wish we could lie like this forever,” Carol whispered. “I don’t ever want to leave you and this bed.”

“So don’t.”

“Well, I’ll eventually have to leave the bed.”

“And me?”

“What about you?” Carol asked, chuckling.

“Do you plan on leaving _me_ anytime soon?” Therese looked up at her with those adorably green eyes.

“I never plan on leaving you again. I mean, I don’t technically live here, so I’ll have to leave at some point, but as far as a relationship, I’m not leaving you.”

“So, move in.”

“Therese, I wasn’t saying that so that you’d ask me to move in with you …”

Therese rolled over and straddled Carol’s hips. “I know,” she said with a smile. “But why don’t you? It only makes sense. I mean, you were practically living here until not that long ago.”

“But things are different now. Before, it was just me helping with you and Liz. And now …”

“And now that we’ve declared our love for each other, we shouldn’t live together?” Therese had an adorable smirk on her face that made Carol smile.

“Would it be too weird for you? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Do you think I’m uncomfortable if I’m asking you to live with me?”

“I suppose not.”

“Look, if you _don’t_ want to move in, that’s fine …”

“I didn’t say that,” Carol interrupted.

“So move in with me,” Therese said as she kissed Carol’s neck.

“Mmmm, how can I say no to that?”

“See how easy that was?”

Therese continued her kisses along Carol’s neck. Being with Therese was extremely thrilling. Therese was so adventurous in bed and always had been. It was how Carol discovered Therese’s need to be punished and her own desire to dominate.

“I still haven’t rewarded you yet. Would you like that, angel?” Carol moved her hands to Therese’s ass, careful not to be too harsh. Therese moaned in her ear as Carol massaged. Those moans made Carol wetter than she was. Therese had the sexiest, most feminine moans that drove Carol wild.

“Yes,” Therese breathed out.

“Your moans make me so wet,” she whispered in her ear.

“May I feel … how wet you are?”

“Yes.”

Therese moved up slightly so Carol could spread her legs and she moved her hand into Carol’s underwear. “Jesus, you’re soaked.”

“You make me wet, baby. Always have.”

“Can I remove your underwear?”

“Of course.”

Therese moved down Carol’s body and delicately removed her underwear. She sat between Carol’s legs and stroked her pussy. Carol opened her legs wider, enjoying the feel of Therese’s hands on her. Her hands moved to Carol’s inner thighs, stroking delicately.

“Baby, that feels good, but don’t you want me to take care of you first?”

“I’ll gladly wait. I don’t mind taking care of you first …”

Before Therese had a chance to continue, Carol’s phone rang. “Shit.” She reached over to grab her phone and laughed when she saw that it was her mom. “Hello.”

“Carol?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“So, it seems that I was right, huh?”

Carol couldn’t hold back her laughter. “I suppose so.”

“I told you that you wouldn’t be home last night.”

“You were right, Mom,” Carol said and winked at Therese.

“Okay, well I won’t keep you from Therese any longer. Just wanted to make sure you were all right and to rub it in a little bit, I guess. She loves you, doesn’t she?”

“That, she does. I love her, too.”

“You don’t say,” she replied, sarcastically. “I’m assuming that you’ll be there tonight as well?”

“I don’t plan on leaving for a while, actually. But we’ll talk about that later.”

“Good, because I have a date tonight and I’d like to be alone.”

“Oh my god, Mom, too much. I didn’t need to know that.”

“You know, I’m allowed to have sex too, Carol.”

“Jesus, Mom, stop. I don’t need to hear any more. Have fun with your date tonight.”

“You too. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

Carol hung up and laughed to herself. She set her phone back on the night stand and nudged Therese to continue.

“What was that about?” Therese asked.

“My mother wanted to rub it in that she was right about your feelings for me. Oh and that she has a date tonight, so she didn’t want me to come home.” Carol shuddered at the thought. “Gross.”

“What, like your mother’s not allowed to have sex?”

“I don’t want to think about my mother having sex.”

“What _do_ you want to think about?”

“Your hands continuing what they were doing. Your sweet mouth on me.” Carol pulled Therese down on top of her. “But first, I want to taste you. Wouldn’t you like that, darling?”

“Yes,” Therese replied, biting her bottom lip.

“That lip bite that you do drives me fucking wild and makes me weak as hell.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm. Tell me what you want, baby.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’d really like to …” Therese paused, her eyes downcast and her face getting redder by the second.

“What? Tell me.”

“I want to ride your face,” she said, quietly.

“Fuck, that sounds amazing. Get your cute little ass up here.” Therese moved to straddle Carol’s face and bit that damn bottom lip again. “If you keep biting that fucking lip, I’m gonna eat you alive.”

“Oooh, I like the sound of that.”

Carol grabbed Therese’s ass and pulled her to her mouth, unable to wait any longer to taste her. She sucked on her lips, coating her face in the process. _Goddamn, she tastes delicious._ Therese ground down on Carol’s face, drenching her in the process and Carol would have been happy to drown right then and there.

“Don’t hold back, darling,” Carol said when she pushed Therese back. “Use me however you need to, all right?”

“All right,” Therese answered, in-between heavy breaths. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Sweetheart, I’m fine. Do what you need to do.”

“Okay,” Therese said and lowered herself back onto Carol’s face. Carol could’ve come just listening to the sounds coming from the woman on top of her. Her clit was throbbing so wildly that if she didn’t come soon, she felt that she may explode. Thankfully, Therese did something that surprised her. She stopped and turned around so that she could lick Carol’s pussy while Carol finished her off.

“How could you tell I wanted this?” Carol asked.

“You’re moaning wildly and your pussy was already wet. I know when you need to come, babe,” she said and dove into Carol’s pussy like she had never before.

“Oh, Christ,” Carol groaned and tried to focus on the feast in front of her. But it was difficult when she felt Therese slide two fingers inside her and her warm mouth sucking on her clit. She tried to refocus and entered Therese with her tongue, fucking her slowly, deliberately. 

She pushed down on Carol’s face and moaned into her pussy while her hips ground down harder. Carol sensed her orgasm and reached around to rub Therese’s clit. The younger woman cried out and came in Carol’s mouth, but she didn’t stop licking Carol. She continued until Carol came, pulling Therese tight against her.

“Fuck!” Therese exclaimed and rolled off of Carol. 

“You’re a vixen.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Don’t act so innocent. Get up here, next to me.”

Therese laid down next to her and Carol couldn’t stop the grin on her face. She couldn’t remember ever being that happy in her life. 

“You said before that you thought about me all the time?” Therese asked.

“I did.”

“I thought about you, too.”

“You did?” It actually surprised Carol to hear that. She figured that once she left, Therese put her out of her mind completely, too angry to even think about her.

“Yeah. I wondered what you were doing. Who you were with. Where you were.”

“I just assumed that you’d try not to think about me.”

“Oh, I tried. It was too difficult. Most of all, I wondered if you missed me.”

“I missed you terribly. I often thought about calling you, but I wanted to leave you alone so that you could get over me.”

“Well, I suppose I never really got over you. I just … moved on. I’m pretty sure that I told you this, but what always attracted me to Liz was how much she reminded me of you. She was tall, blonde, gorgeous. And she made me laugh.”

“Really? That’s what drew you to Liz?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t even surprised when the two of you got along so well. The two of you were so alike in so many ways.”

“I miss her, you know. I feel like I got robbed of a beautiful friendship.”

“She was an amazing woman.”

“Yes, she was.” Carol thought back to her short-lived friendship with Liz and how much fun they had together. She loved taking care of her when Therese had to work. It was sad to her that she had only known her for such a short period of time, but she loved the fact that Liz told her that she wanted Therese to end up with her. “She told me that she wanted us to be together after she passed.”

Therese chuckled and looked up at Carol. “She basically told me the same thing. It was just like her to try to set me up with someone to make sure I was taken care of.”

“I really do wish that I could have known her longer.”

“I think the two of you would have kept me on my toes.”

“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

“Carol, your finger was in my ass last night and my ass was in your face minutes ago. I think you can ask me anything at this point,” she said, laughing.

“Fair point. Did you and Liz ever have threesomes? Like we did before?”

“Yeah, we did, actually.”

“Too bad I wasn’t involved in that,” Carol replied with a smirk.

“I don’t know, that may have been a bit weird for me.”

“Really? I mean, you’ve had sex with both of us and we both know what you like. It would have been a win-win for you.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way. It _would_ have been pretty hot to see the two of you together, actually.”

“So, how often did the two of you have threesomes?” Carol’s curiosity was getting the better of her and she was trying to find out if Therese would still be into the idea. Carol was all for it herself, but if Therese wasn’t, that was fine with her, too. Carol enjoyed sex and loved trying anything in the bedroom.

“Oh, I don’t know. I guess when the mood struck either one of us. I haven’t really kept count, but if I had to guess, probably … ten times, maybe.”

“So she was adventurous?”

“I helped her out with that, but she really enjoyed it. When was the last time you had one?”

“Oh wow, probably ten … twelve years ago.”

“Really?” Therese looked up at her, surprised.

“Well, prison doesn’t really afford you the luxury of the freedom of sex.”

“True. I didn’t really think about that. Why are you asking? Do you want a threesome?”

“I was curious, that’s all. Would you ever be up for it at some point? If you’re not, that’s fine with me.”

“I’m always up for it. I wasn’t kidding that day when I said that I wouldn’t mind seeing you and Fiona together. If I’m being honest, just the thought of that made me wet as hell.”

“So, Fiona, huh?”

Therese shrugged and laid her head back on Carol’s chest. “She’s sexy, you’re sexy and now that I know that you’ve been spanked by her … well, I can’t seem to get _that_ image out of my head.”

“So, just so we’re clear about us, are we implementing the same rules that we had before? You know, we both agree on the woman that we have sex with _together_? This isn’t like an open relationship that you want with me, right?”

“No, not a traditional open relationship. But if we have sex with another woman, we do it together and we have to be in agreement on the woman.”

“Good.”

“I wouldn’t want to sleep with another woman without you. And if we both don’t agree on her, then we don’t do it.”

“Deal.”

“Are we trying to have a threesome with Fiona?” Therese asked with a grin on her face. “I mean, are you okay with that?”

“If you are, yeah. I could ask Fiona and see if she’s into the idea.”

“Do you think she’d be into it?”

“Honestly? Yeah, I think she would, but I don’t know for sure. Do you want me to ask her?”

“Yeah, but not just yet. I need more time alone with you,” Therese said and sat up to straddle Carol.

“You’re insatiable, you know that.”

“What can I say? You’ve given me back my sex drive.”

“Well sweetheart, I’m only getting started, so buckle up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving in?! Is it too soon? Nah


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm really getting slack in posting chapters. Sorry. 😬
> 
> I also need to start writing more of this story because I'll soon run out of chapters to post!

When Carol went back to work Monday, she decided to work on finishing the painting of the nude women kissing. It was so clearly of her and Therese. She knew that when she started it, but now she could actually put the faces on it that she wanted to. At the time that she had started the painting, she couldn’t put their faces on it, but now … now it was different. Now she was looking forward to putting their faces on it and giving it to Therese.

She grinned when she thought about Therese and the amazing weekend that they had shared. So much had happened in such a short period of time. There was so much for her to process. But _finally_ , she was where she wanted to be with Therese. She knew that her insecurities about ruining it all would never fully go away, but she finally felt good enough to allow herself to be happy with her. 

Carol didn’t expect Therese to ask her to move in, but she was truly excited about living with her. She had been staying with her for quite some time, so not much would change, but it would be slightly different now. But Carol was looking forward to it. She was ready to start her life with Therese. She wasn’t naive enough to think that Therese still wouldn’t have bad days where she missed Liz, but Carol would be there to help her through it.

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so excited and happy about her life. It had been so dark for so long and now she finally had a tiny ray of sunshine in the form of a beautiful brunette that completely owned her heart. Carol never envisioned that Therese would end up back in her life this way. While her life wasn’t all the way complete without Rindy fully in it, she still had visits with her and she was forever grateful to her ex-husband for that. The fact that she ruined a true relationship with her daughter bothered her, but she’d do whatever she could to keep Rindy in her life. She wondered what her daughter would think of her relationship with Therese, but knowing Rindy, she would only want her mother to be happy. She truly was a wonderful young woman and Carol couldn’t be happier for the way that she had turned out.

“Knock knock,” Carol heard from the front room. She had been so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the bell on the front door. When she walked through the doorway, she was pleasantly surprised to see Fiona standing there.

“Well, hello stranger,” she said while hugging her friend. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I haven’t been down here yet and I thought I’d stop by.” She looked around at the paintings hanging on the walls. “Impressive.”

“Thank you.”

“Are all of these for sale?”

“They are. Are you interested?”

“I am. I didn’t realize you were so talented.”

Carol shrugged; she was unable to take compliments very well. “Thanks.”

“You must paint a lot.”

“I find the time. The creativity’s always there.”

“You look well. How have you been?”

“Pretty good, actually. You?”

“Not bad. Trying to keep myself busy.”

“With the ladies?” Carol asked with a grin.

“Maybe. What about _you_ and the ladies?”

“No ladies. Just one,” Carol said, unable to stop the smile.

“Ah. So, you and Therese, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“So, that explains the glow you have. How’s it going with the two of you?”

“It’s brand new, so …”

“Oh yeah? It’s taken long enough for the two of you to get together.”

“I’m … a bit insecure.” Carol shrugged.

“Given your past, I can understand that.”

“She’s been extremely understanding, though. It feels so good to be with her.”

“I’m happy for you, Carol. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, Fi.”

“So, does someone deliver these paintings that I buy or do I take them with me?”

“For you, I will hand deliver them.” Maybe this was a way that she could introduce the idea of a threesome. Fiona certainly wasn’t a prude and Carol wasn’t even the slightest bit nervous about asking her.

“Oh my. Such excellent service.”

“Listen, I have a question for you and feel free to say no … or yes,” she said, smiling. “Therese and I were talking over the weekend …”

“You found time to do other things with your mouth?”

“Ha ha, smartass. Yes. Anyway, we were wondering if you’d be interested in a threesome? No pressure and like I said, feel free to say no … no hard feelings.”

“With you and Therese?”

“It turns out the idea of you and I turns her on. She’s not unfamiliar with threesomes, either.”

“Wow, little Therese, huh?” Carol was thrilled that Fiona was actually considering her offer. “That could be fun,” she said with a devious smile.

“I can assure you, she’s a _lot_ of fun. I think you’d really enjoy her.”

“Okay,” she said with a nod. “I’m in. Just let me know when.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

“You’re okay with it?”

“Therese and I have had threesomes and yes, I’m beyond okay with it.”

Fiona picked out a few paintings and Carol said that she’d deliver them to her. Once Fiona left, Carol continued the painting she had been working on. She was thrilled to finish it and couldn’t wait to show it to Therese. She texted her and told her to stop by when she had a chance. 

God, she couldn’t wait to see her. When Carol wasn’t painting, her mind had drifted to Therese and not being with her was complete agony. She missed her terribly. This honeymoon phase was going to kill her; all she wanted was to stay in bed with Therese for months, years even. 

By the time three o’clock came around, Carol was tired. The effects of little sleep from the weekend were wearing on her, but she was happy to be exhausted from what had happened. At around four, Therese showed up and Carol practically fucked her right against the door, but Therese didn’t seem to mind. She locked the door and put up the closed sign. Carol didn’t plan on staying all day anyway. She covered Therese’s eyes to take her into the backroom and show her the painting.

“Okay, are you ready?”

“Yes,” Therese replied and Carol dropped her hands. “Oh my god … Carol! This is amazing.”

“You like it?”

“It’s us!”

“It is.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, in awe as she stared with her mouth open. “I don’t know what to say. This is incredible. I absolutely love it!” She turned around and kissed Carol. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“When I started it a while ago, I knew it was us, but I was nervous to put our faces on it. I was going to change it, but then well … I couldn’t imagine not putting our faces on it.”

“We could recreate this painting, you know.”

“I think we already did, a few times this weekend,” Carol replied, seductively whispering in her ear while her hands roamed her body.

“We could photograph it. Have it on canvas and a real photograph?”

“Are you trying to take nudes of me?”

“If you’ll let me.”

“You know … I kind of like that idea.”

“Really?” Therese’s face lit up and Carol smiled. She never thought about being the object of nude photography, but the thought was provocative and arousing to her.

“Yeah. What kind of pictures would you take?”

“What kind would you let me take?”

“Would a lot of people see them?”

“No one that you didn’t want to see them. I mean, it could just be for us. Well, me mostly, if I take close-ups of that beautiful pussy of yours. Unless you want other people to see them …”

“Are you trying to go into nude photography?”

“I’ve never really thought about it, but I kind of like the idea.”

“You’d really want to take close-ups of me like that?”

“Since you have one of the prettiest pussies that I’ve ever seen, yes, I would,” Therese whispered in her ear. “But only if you’d let me.”

“I’ll let you, but I’ll have to think about you showing them.”

“That’s fine. I wouldn’t mind keeping them for myself if you don’t want anyone to see them.”

“Let’s come back to that later. I have some news for you.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“Fiona stopped in today.”

“She did?” Therese asked, wide eyed.

“She did.”

“And?”

“And … she’s in.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep!”

“Holy shit! Wow, _that’s_ exciting.”

“Just let me know when you’re ready. I’m not ready to share you yet, though.”

“Me neither.”

“Are you ready to head home?” Carol asked, feeling exhausted.

“ _Home._ I like that. Yes, I’m ready to head home with you.”

* * *

Therese stared at herself in the mirror, slightly unsure of the woman who was staring back at her. Was she really about to live with Carol? How did she let that question slip from her lips. Not that she didn’t want to since Carol had practically been living there for a while. No, she was thinking that maybe it was too soon since Liz had passed to move another woman into her home. But Carol wasn’t just _any_ woman, she was _the_ woman. The one that Therese had envisioned spending the rest of her life with since Liz had passed.

“Jesus, Liz. Why aren’t you here to speak to? Why can’t I talk to you about this?” She shook her head, realizing how strange it sounded to want Liz to be there to give her advice. 

Therese had been trying to keep herself so busy so that she wouldn’t have to think about how much she missed Liz. In a way, she felt guilty for not sulking around, missing her dead wife and instead spending all her time with Carol. But Therese never did enjoy being alone. Had she jumped the gun, high on sex, when she asked Carol to move in with her? No, she wanted Carol there. She wanted to live with her and spend her life with her. She just wished that it didn’t make her feel so guilty. She desperately missed Liz.

However, Therese knew that Liz would want her to be happy and not turn into a miserable spinster. She laughed at the thought of the stereotypical cynical lesbian growing old, surrounded by her fourteen cats. No, she wouldn’t let that happen to her. She was more of a dog person anyway.

“What are you thinking about?” Carol asked when she peered into the master bathroom.

“That I’m more of a dog person.”

Carol furrowed her brow. “How did you even get to that train of thought?”

“Many different thoughts led me to that.”

“I can’t even imagine,” she said with a chuckle.

“I was just thinking about Liz and … and you and I.”

“Are you … regretting us?” She heard the hard swallow from Carol. It seemed that Carol’s insecurities would always be there, but Therese didn’t want her to think that she didn’t want her.

“Oh, god no,” she said, turning to face Carol. “No, no, no. There’s just a lot going through my mind. It’s just hard to process, that’s all.”

“Because if you don’t want …”

“I never said that,” she interrupted. “There’s just a lot going through my brain.”

“Like what? Anything I can help with?”

“I just miss Liz, you know. It feels almost wrong for me to … I don’t know, move on, I guess. You know what I mean? Like there’s supposed to be a set timeline for me to be the ‘grieving widow’. I know it all sounds ridiculous.”

“I don’t think it does. I think it sounds pretty normal for you to feel that way.”

“Carol, I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you here. I really do.”

“I understand. It’s just … insecurities.”

“I know.”

“I miss her, too. I don’t have many friends and we became pretty close after spending so much time together. There was just something about her. She was so easy to talk to. I felt like I could tell her anything. We had a lot of very _interesting_ conversations.”

“With Liz, I can only imagine.” Therese chuckled to herself.

“Was she always like that?”

“Yes, she was. You could talk to Liz about anything and there were never any judgements from her. Nothing phased her. Must’ve been the nurse in her.”

Therese thought about how rare it was to find someone like that to talk to. She felt lucky and grateful that she found that with another person other than Carol. It was nice to be able to talk to freely with someone.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is nothing but smut ... pure unadulterated smut.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, pet?”

Therese was currently knelt down in front of Carol, who was wearing a harness with a red silicone dildo attached to it. Therese bought it herself, wanting to see Carol in red and she wasn’t disappointed. Their night was about to get extremely exciting.

“Yes, ma’am.”

They were naked – except for the strap-on – and had already fallen into their roles for the night and Therese was in her element, on her knees, looking up at Carol while her strong hand massaged Therese’s scalp.

“Such a polite thing you are. Such a good girl.” 

Therese smiled, enjoying the praise; she always aimed to please. Well, not _always_. Sometimes, she’d push her limit to make her punishment even more pleasing for herself. Therese knew she held all the control, but enjoyed the illusion of relinquishing it.

“Take me in your mouth,” Carol said and pushed the tip of the silicone cock towards Therese’s mouth.

She willingly accepted – opening her mouth and taking the shaft as far as she could. She moved her head back and forth, bobbing against Carol, enjoying the scent of Carol’s strong arousal as she did. Oh, how she hoped to be able to take that harness off of Carol at some point during the night to lick her to orgasm.

“Do you enjoy sucking me?” she asked, her voice deeper than normal.

“Yes, ma’am,” Therese said as she pulled back and then promptly continued, knowing that Carol didn’t tell her to stop.

“Such a beautiful, warm mouth my pet has.”

“Mmmm,” Therese hummed while her mouth was still full. She tested the waters, bringing a hand up to caress Carol’s ass and her hand was promptly swatted away. _One strike …_

“Ah ah, don’t get … cocky,” Carol said with a chuckle and Therese tried to hide her own laugh with a moan. 

“Sorry, ma’am. It won’t happen again.”

“Did I tell you to stop?” Carol asked with a sternness in her voice that made Therese’s pussy flood.

“No ma’am.” Therese moved to put her mouth back on Carol’s cock, but felt her pull her back by her hair.

“Bend over the bed. Now.” Dominant Carol was out in full force and Therese could barely contain her excitement.

Therese’s heart rate sped up when she stood and bent over the bed. It seemed that she’d have her first punishment earlier than she intended for the night. She certainly wasn’t complaining.

“Spread your legs.” Therese did as she was told and the air felt cool on her soaked pussy. “Hands above your head and keep them there or I’ll be forced to restrain you. I don’t want to have to do that just yet, but I will if you keep pushing your luck. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She felt like such a slut in her current position and it only fueled her arousal. Waiting to find out what Carol had planned was agony. Seconds felt like hours. Therese waited, legs spread, pussy open - wet and throbbing - as she waited for Carol’s next move.

Therese gasped softly when she felt the riding crop skim across her ass and down between her legs. Not moving her hips took all of the self-control she could muster. Carol applied slight pressure to Therese’s clit and moved in slow circles. Therese couldn’t stop herself when her hips moved slightly. Suddenly the pressure was gone and she felt the sharp smack against her pussy. She cried out in pleasure as Carol smacked her there two more times. Therese missed that feeling so, _so_ much. 

Just when she finally had her breathing back to some sort of normalcy, she felt the riding crop smacking her swiftly on the ass. Carol relented after around the tenth smack. Therese lost count, too aroused to concentrate. 

“Fuck,” she whispered, hoping that _that_ wouldn’t be a strike.

“Enjoying your punishment, sweetheart?” Carol asked. Of course she heard Therese whisper into the bed. Maybe she had been louder than she thought.

“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, honestly, hoping the if she was honest, Carol would show a little mercy on her. It was obvious how aroused Therese was. She could feel how wet she was, her pussy was swollen and throbbing and her breathing was beyond erratic.

“Ah, an honest answer. I like that.” Carol reached down and cupped Therese’s pussy. “Mmmm, that feels nice. Do you think this feels nice?” she asked as she massaged. If Carol didn’t stop, Therese was bound to come before she was allowed.

“Yes, it feels incredible.” Therese was a panting, sweaty mess in what seemed a matter of seconds, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

Carol slid a finger inside and Therese felt her pussy gush, spilling the excess wetness from her. It had been a while since she remembered feeling herself become that wet.

“My my, someone’s ready for me.” Carol leaned over and planted kisses along Therese’s shoulder blades. The thrusting of Carol’s finger became more insistent and she tried to focus her mind on something else, but Carol’s mouth was setting her body on fire, stoking the flames of her orgasm. Her kisses moved up Therese’s neck and to her ear. She whispered, “Are you ready for my cock, my sweet pet?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she breathed out. “Please, please fuck me.”

“Mmmm, that begging … you’re making me wet, darling.”

When Carol pulled back, Therese felt one of her hands massaging her ass while her other one slid three fingers inside. She felt so full and suddenly a little nervous when she thought about the size of the dildo that she picked out. It wasn’t huge, but she hoped that it’d be pleasurable. She hadn’t had one inside of her in far too long. She should have at least tried to slide it in before that moment.

“I’ll go slow,” Carol said and Therese figured that she sensed her trepidation. “If it’s too much, use your safe word. I want this to be pleasurable for you.” Therese’s heart swelled at the change in Carol’s voice. That wasn’t dominant Carol, that was the caring part of her that didn’t want to hurt her.

“Thank you,” Therese whispered.

“Is it too much?” she asked.

“No, I’ll just need some time to adjust, that’s all.”

“I promise I’ll take care of you.”

“I know you will.”

“Now, where was I?” Carol asked and Therese noticed the change in her voice when she spoke again. “Oh, that’s right, my pet was begging to be fucked by my cock. Weren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Carol stood up and Therese watched as she walked to the nightstand for the lube. She watched as Carol stood there, stroking the dildo with the lube, making a show of it for Therese’s sake. It was hot. So hot that Therese whimpered, desperate for any contact with Carol.

“See something you like, darling?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Carol resumed her position behind her and Therese felt her short nails lightly scratch down her back. She moaned in pleasure from the soothing feeling.

“You’re so beautiful,” Carol whispered. “Such a good girl, you are. So obedient.”

Therese thoroughly enjoyed the praise; it only fueled her desire to please. Carol’s nails trailed farther down, over her ass and down her thighs, creating goosebumps along the expanse of Therese’s body. Her hands made it back to Therese’s pussy and she felt Carol’s thumbs spreading her pussy lips apart. She felt the tip of the cock at her entrance, ready to fill her.

Carol was gentle, easing it in slowly, stopping to let Therese adjust and repeating. She was grateful for Carol’s slow pace, making it easier for her to adjust to the familiar feeling. Once Carol was fully inside, Therese realized that it wasn’t as bad as she had anticipated. It was starting to feel pleasurable to be filled like that once again. 

And Carol was beyond patient, taking her time with Therese. It filled her heart with more love for Carol. A tear slipped from her eye that was easy to conceal in her current position and she was thankful that Carol couldn’t see it. The fact that Carol was more worried about Therese than herself was heartwarming. Therese knew that it was probably agonizing for Carol because she had been completely aroused, yet the only thing she wanted more than her own pleasure was for this experience to be pleasurable for Therese.

She pulled back slowly and eased the cock back inside again. Therese moaned at the feeling of finally being fucked again. Jesus, how wonderful it felt to be fucked by Carol this way.

Carol fucked her slowly at first and picked up the pace when Therese’s moans became louder. Therese grabbed at the sheets above her, forcing herself to keep her hands in place when all she wanted to do was reach back and touch Carol. As much as she enjoyed the scenario that was playing out, she couldn’t wait to be with Carol without these roles. Without the restrictions on her, free to feel Carol all she wanted and take her time to make love.

However, when Carol’s hand came down hard, smacking her ass, she had to admit that _this_ scenario was beyond incredible. Therese tried to focus on anything that she could in order not to come. She knew that her request would more than likely be granted if she only asked, but she also needed to build her will to not give in. Because at some point in the future, Carol was sure to deny her and Therese wanted to be able to comply.

“Touch yourself for me, sweet girl.” _Oh fuck._ This was going to be difficult …

“Yes, ma’am.” Therese reached down between her legs to slowly rub her clit and Therese felt the wet spot that she had made on the bed. Her clit was hard and she was purposely slow; careful not to come yet. But oh, how wonderful it felt while Carol fucked her. She surprised herself with her level of self-control until Carol spoke again.

“Faster, pet.” _Jesus._

Therese moved her hand faster, panting when she did. “Oh fuck!” All of the sensations were becoming too much; Carol fucking her and smacking her ass while she rubbed her clit. “Please … please. I need to come,” she begged.

“You haven’t asked me for that,” Carol replied. Her voice … _Damn, she sounds so sexy._ Therese could tell that Carol was beyond aroused.

“Please? May I come?”

“Do you think you deserve that?”

Fucking head games. Therese found it highly difficult to find the right answer. Yes? No? Did it matter? If Carol didn’t give her permission, she would be coming either way.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is that what you think?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why? I had to swat your hand away from me earlier. Is that deserving of a reward?”

“I took my punishment for that, ma’am.” Therese said, finding it difficult answer with her labored breathing.

When Carol didn’t answer, Therese whimpered. The anticipation was almost too much and she could feel her orgasm building. 

Carol bent over her, pressing herself into Therese’s back, her nipples rock hard. She moved her hands under Therese to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples. “Since you took your punishment so well, yes, you may come,” she whispered.

With that, Therese cried out, coming hard around Carol buried inside her. Carol stilled her hips and kept the length of the cock inside Therese’s convulsing pussy. 

“Do you like convulsing around my cock?” Carol whispered in her ear seductively.

“Fuck yes!”

“You were such a good girl for me.” She peppered kisses along Therese’s neck and shoulder and stood up, still not moving her hips. She lightly caressed Therese’s back, slowly massaging and then down to her ass. Therese may have just had a body draining orgasm, but Carol’s touch was becoming more arousing by the second.

When she finally pulled out, Therese still couldn’t move. Her body was completely spent and she realized how out of practice she was at this. But tonight had been an excellent start to her building her stamina.

She heard Carol remove the harness and then felt her gently pulling her fully on the bed and roll her onto her side. She took her into her arms and Therese held on, running her hand along Carol’s sexy, muscled back. 

“You’re an angel,” Carol whispered through the silence. “You were amazing, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you okay, babe?” she asked, pushing Therese’s hair from her cheek.

“Yes.” She was still touched by the fact that Carol was only worried about Therese. “Oh my god, that was amazing.”

“Yeah? It wasn’t too much for you?”

“No, it was perfect. _You_ were perfect. So sexy.” She leaned in to kiss Carol softly and laid her head back down on the pillow. “Did you enjoy it?”

“So, _so_ much. Tell me what your favorite part was … besides the orgasm. I’m sure I can guess, but I want you to tell me.” Carol always wanted to know what had aroused Therese the most.

“Tonight, it was definitely that riding crop on my pussy.”

“That’s what I figured. You always liked having your pussy smacked.”

“Apparently, I still do,” she said, smiling.

“Next time, I want to tie you up.”

“Mmmm, I’d like that very much.” She suddenly wished she had more energy so that Carol could tie her up then, but her body was spent.

“You made a mess on the bed,” Carol said, laughing.

“I know, I felt it,” she replied, blushing. “How wet are you?”

“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. Tonight was about you.”

“Tonight was about _us_ and I want you to be taken care of.”

“You really don’t have to. You must be exhausted, darling. I can take care of myself.”

“I want to. I want you so badly.” She moved her hand to Carol’s pussy and felt how soaked she was. “Jesus, Carol. How have you been able to lie here and not do anything about this?”

“I was more worried about you.”

“Tell me what you want. Let me, please? Let me take care of _you_ now.” Therese lightly stroked Carol’s pussy and the older woman gasped.

“That feels nice. Just keep doing that.”

Therese applied more pressure and moved her fingers down to Carol’s entrance. She slid two fingers inside and Carol draped her leg over Therese’s hip. She loved watching Carol’s face while she fucked her this way, enjoying the subtle changes in her face along with the changes in the way she was being fucked. She pulled Therese towards her by her neck, kissing her passionately.

“Don’t stop, baby.” 

Carol reached over to the nightstand, grabbing a small vibrator that Therese hadn’t noticed sitting there before. She turned it on and smiled while she brought it down to her clit. 

“Faster,” she whispered. 

Therese complied and it didn’t take long for Carol to explode, coming hard on Therese’s hand. She was absolutely beautiful when she was lost in her orgasm, as always.

Carol turned off the vibrator and laid it on the bed. She pulled Therese against her, holding on while she came down. It was such a tender, intimate gesture that brought tears to Therese’s eyes.

“You’re magnificent,” Therese whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it hot in here?!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe our queen is 50 today! Happy birthday, Cate! 
> 
> Also, hope you enjoy this chapter!

“I’m moving in with Therese,” Carol said to her mother. She had gone to her house for breakfast while Therese slept in.

“Well, you’ve pretty much been living there. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“I’ll just be down the street if you need anything.”

“I know, sweetheart. I’m not worried about that. I can take care of myself.”

“I know. I guess I just wanted your opinion.”

“About you moving in with Therese?” she asked while refilling their coffee.

“Yeah.”

“I think it’s great.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. If Liz’s death has taught us anything, it’s that life’s too short,” she said with a shrug.

“Could I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything, baby. You know that.”

“Do you miss Dad?”

Linda breathed a deep sigh and looked out the window. “Sometimes, I guess I do. But I don’t know if it’s that I miss _him_ or just having someone here. I’ve fought with myself about that. I feel like I _should_ miss him, but … now I’m not so sure that I do.”

“Why did you stay with him?” Carol could never understand why her mother would stay with a man that held so much disdain for one of her children.

“I don’t know. I guess I felt obligated to him. I grew up in a time that when you got married, you stayed married. Do I regret it? Staying with him? Yes. If I could change one thing in my life, I would’ve left him a long time ago, especially because of the way that he felt about you. I’m sorry, Carol. I’m not proud of my decisions, but I’m truly sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mom.” Carol shrugged. “I’m just happy I have you now and thankful for everything you’ve done for me since I got out of prison.”

“It’s been my pleasure, sweetheart,” she said, smiling. “So … how are things with Therese? I’m assuming well since you’re moving in.”

Carol couldn’t stop the grin on her face at the mention of Therese’s name. “Everything with her is … amazing. She’s such an incredible woman. I wish I never left her before, but I’m happy to have her back. I just wish that I could stop being so damn insecure.”

“About what?”

“Not deserving her, feeling guilty about me being there and not Liz, feeling like I can’t give her everything she deserves, being an ex-felon … so many things, Mom.”

“Carol, you know she loves you. If she didn’t want to be with you, she wouldn’t.”

“I know, I know. Sometimes, I just can’t get out of my own head. I try, but it’s difficult. But she always finds a way to assure me that she wants me and I must admit that it feels nice.”

“She’s a special woman.”

“She is,” Carol said with a smile. “I must admit that I feel a little guilty about leaving you.”

“Don’t worry about me, darling. Like you said - you’re right down the street.”

“Knock, knock,” Therese said, when she came into the kitchen. “The front door was open. Hope you don’t mind,” she said and kissed Carol on the cheek.

“Of course not, sweetheart,” Linda said. “I was asking Carol earlier why you weren’t here.”

“I was exhausted and Carol let me sleep,” Therese said with a slight blush.

“Ahh, I see,” Linda replied. “Carol kept you up late, huh?”

“Something like that,” Therese said and stared a hole in the floor, clearly uncomfortable.

“Don’t be embarrassed, sweetheart. I wouldn’t expect anything else from the two of you.”

“Can we not talk about that?” Therese asked.

“You’re adorable,” Carol said and kissed her on the cheek.

They were all surprised to hear the doorbell and Linda went to answer it while Carol and Therese stayed in the kitchen. Then Carol tensed when she heard that voice. _Elaine._ Her sister was not Carol’s favorite person. They didn’t get along and she hadn’t seen her in years. Elaine was their father’s favorite child and she relished in his attention and since he was never very fond of Carol once she came out, Elaine began to feel the same way that he did. Before that, the two girls had always gotten along well, but her father ruined that.

“Carol? What is it?” Therese asked.

“My sister,” she said, bitterly.

“Shit,” Therese whispered, knowing all about Carol’s relationship with the woman. “We should go.”

“Elaine, you should’ve called,” Linda said when they entered the kitchen and her eyes immediately met Carol’s with a look of concern and something that Carol had never seen from her mother about her sister: annoyance. Linda seemed almost annoyed that Elaine was standing in her kitchen.

“Do I need an invitation to see my mother?” she asked and her eyes locked with Carol’s.

“I didn’t say that, but maybe I have plans,” Linda replied.

“Well, I don’t plan on staying long. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by. Jake’s visiting universities and I wanted to see you. I hope that’s all right.”

“It’s fine. Would you like something to drink?” Linda asked.

Carol stood there and wondered how long it would take her sister to acknowledge her. Therese took her hand and her body instantly became less tense. She looked over at Therese and gave her a wink. God, how she loved that woman and the effect she had on Carol.

“That’s all right. I won’t be long,” she replied and looked back over at her sister. “Carol,” she said, evenly.

“Elaine,” Carol replied.

“How are you?”

“I’m well. And you?”

“I’m well.” She looked over at Therese and down at their locked hands.

“This is my girlfriend, Therese,” Carol said, almost hoping that Elaine was annoyed at the word ‘girlfriend’.

“I remember Therese. It’s nice to see you again,” she said.

“Likewise.”

Carol and Therese listened as her sister rambled on about her nephew’s university visits and Carol noticed how old Elaine looked. She figured it was from all the hate that she carried around. Carol didn’t despise her. The truth was that the only thing she felt for her sister was indifference. And maybe a little sorry for her that she had been such a bitter person her entire life.

When there was a moment to speak, Carol said “We’re gonna go, Mom. We’ll be back for dinner, though.”

“Don’t leave on my account,” Elaine said, almost scoffing.

“Honestly, I’d rather not be around someone who hates me for the person that I am,” Carol replied.

“Which person are you referring to? The ex-felon?”

“Yeah and the lesbian that I am,” Carol replied, nonchalantly.

“Lesbian,” Elaine scoffed. “Ugh.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right, Elaine. I’m super gay. Beyond gay. Wildly gay,” Carol said, dramatically, trying to prove her point. “I’d tell you about how gay I was last night, but it’s too precious to waste it on you.” Carol looked over and winked at Therese.

“Are you just going to let her speak to me like that?” Elaine asked Linda.

“Yeah, if she wants to,” Linda replied with a shrug. “You’re both adults.”

“You’re such a disgrace,” Elaine said. “Dad was always right about you.”

“That’s enough!” Linda raised her voice. “Your father was _not_ right about her. Your sister is a better woman than you’ll ever be,” Linda continued and Carol stood there, surprised at her mother’s outburst. “She’s kind, compassionate, loving. She’s been there for Therese while her wife was sick and has been there for her every day since Liz’s passing. Carol has her own business and has more talent than you ever will.”

“Mom …” Elaine tried to interrupt.

“You’re just bitter about that fact that you haven’t done anything substantial with your life except have children and project yourself to be a happy wife while your husband is out sleeping with anything that moves.” Linda stopped to compose herself. “I suggest you leave, Elaine and come back when you’re not so bitter and full of hate.”

“I can’t believe you’re defending her,” Elaine said.

“Just go, Elaine. Now.”

After Elaine left, Carol sat down at the table, overcome with emotion at the fact that her mother defended her to her sister. Therese held onto Carol’s shoulders, comforting her.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Carol said, shaking her head. 

“What?” Linda shrugged. “Your sister needed to hear that. She deserved it and she doesn’t deserve to speak to you that way.”

“That was awesome!” Therese exclaimed and Carol smiled.

“That _was_ awesome, Mom.”

Linda smiled and took a bow.

* * *

After dinner with her mother and Therese, Carol climbed into bed, exhausted from the day and still worn out from the night before. Therese came into the bedroom looking absolutely adorable and just the sight of her warmed Carol’s heart.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked, standing at her dresser, taking out her earrings.

“You.”

“What about me?”

Carol shrugged. “You make me smile.” That earned a big grin from Therese. 

“If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to just sleep tonight,” Therese said at the most inopportune moment as she undressed, standing in just her underwear.

“It’s really difficult for me to agree to that since you’re looking so delectable, but I think I have to agree. My body is completely exhausted.”

“I’m exhausted, too. Last night was incredible.” She slipped on a t-shirt and climbed into bed, cuddling up to Carol.

“Are you sore today?”

“Deliciously sore. In all the right places.”

“Glad to hear I didn’t hurt you.”

“No, you were wonderful.” Therese moved up to kiss her softly. “I’m sorry about your sister.”

“I can’t say I’m really surprised, but thanks. I think my mom handled it pretty well.”

“She most certainly did.”

“Why is your sister so fucking bitter?” Therese asked, caressing Carol’s stomach, inadvertently stoking a fire inside of her.

“I don’t know. She was always my dad’s favorite and now that he’s not around anymore, she doesn’t have anyone to kiss her ass,” Carol said. “That and she’s just a bitch.”

“Either way, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Don’t be. I’m not.”

* * *

Therese had a slow day and was at the shop with Carol. She enjoyed watching Carol work and Carol liked having her there. Her business had been thriving and Therese was proud of her girlfriend.

Carol was busy in the back, working on a painting and Therese was in the front with her nose in a book when she heard the bell on the door signaling a customer. She looked up to see Fiona walking towards her. Therese’s heart rate instantly sped up seeing the gorgeous woman in her presence. It could have also been the fact that she knew that somewhere in the near future, she was going to be naked with this woman.

“Hello, Therese,” Fiona said with that smooth voice of hers.

“Hello. How are you?”

“I’m well. You?”

“I’m good,” she said with a smile. “Carol’s in the back, painting.”

“Oh. I actually came to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yes you, sweetheart.”

“Hello,” Carol said, walking through the doorway and hugged Fiona. “What brings you in? More paintings?”

“I actually came in to see if Therese would like to go to lunch with me. If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” Carol replied.

“Why me?” Therese asked, feeling slightly confused.

“I thought we should get to know each other a bit. Maybe break the ice a little. If that’s okay with you.”

“I was helping Carol, but it’s kind of slow.”

“Go ahead, darling,” Carol said. “I can handle it here. Probably a good idea for you two to talk anyway.”

“Are you sure you’re okay here?” Therese asked Carol. Truth was that she was feeling some trepidation about a lunch alone with Fiona, but it _would_ be good for them to get to know each other. After all, she was truly looking forward to their future threesome.

“I’m okay, baby. Go ahead.”

“I promise not to steal your girlfriend,” Fiona said with a smirk.

“Oh, trust me, you couldn’t even if you tried,” Carol replied and kissed Therese. “Have fun. Bring me back something.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

And with that Therese followed Fiona to her car, anxious about how their discussion would go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like we have an interesting conversation to look forward to!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. I don't have many chapters left to post and I'm suffering a bit of writer's block. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“So, Carol tells me you’re a new photographer?” Fiona asked after they ordered lunch.

“Well, I’m trying to be one.”

“What happened with nursing?” Therese was grateful to be able to talk about what she was comfortable with.

“I just couldn’t do it anymore. When I went back after being off for so long, it was awful. I mean, I love taking care of people, but it just reminded me of Liz and taking care of her. There’s too much sadness that goes along with the job. Carol was the one who encouraged me to follow my photography dream.”

“And how’s that going? Are you taking classes?”

“I am. Classes are going well.”

“I’m assuming that the photographs at the shop are yours?”

“They are.”

“They’re beautiful. You definitely have an eye for photography.”

“Thank you.”

They were interrupted by the waiter bringing their food and were silent while they ate for a bit.

“So, what is it that you do? Carol never told me.”

“I’m an interior designer.”

“Oh wow. Have you always done that?”

“I have. I enjoy it.” Fiona took a sip of her drink. “So, would you like to talk about the elephant in the room?”

Therese took a deep breath. “Absolutely. What should we talk about?”

“Carol told me that you’re not a rookie at this.”

“I’m not.”

“That’s good to know. So, can I be assured that there won’t be jealousy?”

“Of course. I’ve done this many times before.”

“I don’t mean to sound rude, but I’ve been in the situation before with a couple and one woman became very jealous. I just want to make sure that both of you are okay with it.”

“I can assure that we’re both looking forward to it.”

“Good. As long as you’re excited about it, that’s a good sign.”

“I have to admit that I’ve thought many times about you and Carol together. Especially after the first time I met you and realized that you were the one that Carol was sleeping with.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” she said, blushing. “Carol tells me that _you_ were the dominant one and not her.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Carol tends to have a dominant streak,” Fiona said. “But she can be easily persuaded to submit. I take it she’s the dominant one with you?”

“She is.”

“I hope you’re not offended when I say that I can tell that you’re the submissive one.”

“No offense taken. I thoroughly enjoy being submissive,” Therese said, proudly.

“Mmmm, good to know. Does the thought of Carol submitting to me arouse you?”

“It does.” Therese wished that she could will herself to stop blushing and looking like a fool.

“Well, you’ll be able to see it in the flesh,” she said with a wink.

“I can’t wait.” And she _really_ couldn’t wait.

* * *

“How was lunch?” Carol asked when Therese returned.

“It was good. I really like Fiona.”

“I knew you would.” She gave Therese a kiss. “Still want that threesome with her or no?” she asked with a smirk.

“Probably even more now than before.”

“Oh?” Carol gave her a nudge. “Should I be worried?”

“Of course not. You know that.”

“I know; I’m kidding.”

Therese handed Carol a sandwich that she tore into. “Hungry?”

“Starved.”

“Been busy painting?”

“Mmhmm.”

“I have an assignment to work on tonight, but I was thinking …”

“Yes?” Carol asked, her eyebrows raised.

“Well, I was thinking about taking some … up close and personal pictures. If you want?”

“Just one question.”

“Yes?”

“When you take these, you’ll really be the only one that sees them, right?”

“If that’s what you want, yes. I’ll put them in a locked folder on my computer. I’ll make sure they won’t get out.”

“Okay.”

“If you don’t want me to do it, I won’t,” Therese said with a shrug. “I understand if you don’t want to do it. They’re extremely personal and intimate photographs.”

“It’s just … no one’s ever asked me to take such intimate photos of me. I’m a little nervous about what I look like.” Carol needed to be honest. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Therese to take the pictures of her, it was strange to her that someone would want pictures of her like that. 

“I can assure you that you are beautiful and I love the way you look. But I’m not going to force you into anything that you don’t want to do. I want you to be comfortable if this is something that you want.”

“Okay.” Therese’s reassurance made Carol feel better. The truth was that she didn’t know how she truly felt about other people seeing such intimate photos of her. It’s not that her face would be in them, but if they were ever shown, it would be obvious who the subject was.

“We don’t have to do it if it’s too stressful for you.” Therese came over to give Carol a quick kiss on the cheek. “I have to go home. I have an assignment to work on that I can’t do here. But I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Absolutely.”

When Carol returned home, she set her bag down on the couch and called out for Therese but got no response. She went to the kitchen to get something to drink and found a box wrapped in red wrapping paper with a black lacy bow and her name on the small card. She opened the card to find that it was from Therese. Carol smiled and shook her head. The presentation was so beautiful, she almost didn’t want to open it. She decided to take a quick picture of it since she’d never received a gift that looked so beautiful from anyone.

Carol slowly untied the bow and carefully unwrapped the box. Her mind was racing with what could be inside and her heart pounded furiously in her chest when she saw that the box was from the lingerie store. Her eyes filled with tears when she thought back to the time she confessed to Therese that no one ever bought her any lingerie. _She remembered._ When she lifted the lid, she was surprised to find so many pieces of lingerie inside. She held up a lacy see-through bra and smiled to herself.

“Do you like it?”

Therese’s voice startled her and she turned around to find Therese standing in the doorway with a huge grin on her face.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Carol replied. “It’s too much.”

“Do you like it?”

Carol turned around and pulled some more pieces from the box. “I love it.” She tried hard not to cry, but she did anyway. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever bought me.”

Therese came up behind her and slid her hands under Carol’s shirt, skimming her fingertips along Carol’s stomach. “I have to admit that this was a semi selfish act,” she said. “I want to see you in it,” Therese whispered, seductively. “Would you like to wear it for me?”

Carol felt a sudden urge of arousal at the way Therese spoke and her hand traveling lower, slipping into her underwear. “I’d love to, darling.” Carol found it difficult to focus while Therese’s hand slid lower and grazed her pubic hair. “Thank you for this, baby.”

“Oh, you’re more than welcome.”

Carol unbuttoned her shorts and pushed them down, letting them fall to the floor. She pushed her ass into Therese and reached around to pull the smaller woman against her. “I need you,” she whispered. Therese pulled Carol’s underwear to the floor and Carol stepped out of her underwear and shorts and widened her stance. She felt Therese’s hesitation as she waited. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, sweetheart. You’re in control right now.”

She felt Therese’s hands ease down her ass and squeeze. Carol held onto the table to steady herself. Giving up control wasn’t as difficult as she thought it would be with Therese. It was actually quite thrilling to her. Therese peppered light kisses along Carol’s lower back, down to the back of her thighs. Carol felt her arousal building in anticipation of where she needed Therese’s mouth the most. 

Therese pulled Carol’s pussy lips apart and she felt the air cooling her heated center. She placed a delicate kiss on Carol’s pussy and the older woman whimpered.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Therese breathed out against her. “This would be an excellent picture.” She continued light kisses along Carol’s pussy, leaving her a throbbing, wet mess. “Would you mind if I took a few pictures?”

“Not at all.” The truth was that Carol was curious to see what the pictures would look like.

“Don’t move.”

Therese quickly grabbed her camera and Carol waited patiently. She smiled as she waited for Therese to adjust her settings and tried to keep herself at ease. It was strange and erotic to be completely exposed the way she was.

“Are you okay?” Therese asked softly as she caressed Carol’s leg. 

“Yes, darling. I promise I’m perfectly okay with this.”

“All right. Could you just sort of … stick your ass out a bit? I know it sounds strange,” she said, laughing.

Carol chuckled to herself and did as Therese asked. “Like that?”

“Yeah, just like that,” Therese replied. “Jesus, that’s hot.”

Therese took some more pictures while Carol waited patiently. Then she felt Therese slide two fingers inside her and she heard the shutter, but eventually the sound of the shutter faded away as Therese fucked her slowly. Soon, her fingers were replaced with her tongue and Carol no longer heard the camera. All she felt was Therese loving her so perfectly that it brought tears to her eyes. 

She cried out as she came and her knees buckled. Therese was quick to hold her upright and Carol slumped over the table. She held onto her, kissing her neck as Carol’s breathing finally normalized.

“Do you want to see the pictures?” Therese asked and Carol smiled. She turned around and kissed her.

“I do.”

Once Carol got over the shock of seeing herself like that, she had to admit that the pictures were pretty hot. She didn’t know how Therese got a picture of herself licking Carol’s pussy, but she wasn’t questioning it because just the sight of it made her feel warm all over again.

“Holy shit, Therese. These are fucking wild.”

“You like them?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

“Yeah, I really do.”

“What about the one of me eating you?”

“It’s fucking hot.”

“I’m surprised that one came out all right. It was a little difficult, but I think it looks pretty good.”

“Sweetheart,” Carol said and kissed her. “They’re incredible and I can’t wait for you to take more.”

“Seriously? You really don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Especially if it ends in an orgasm for me,” she said with a wink. “But no, I really enjoyed it. The eroticism of it was thrilling.”

“I have to agree.”

“Do you have the next idea planned?” Carol asked, curiously.

“I have _so_ many ideas now.”

“Now I _really_ can’t wait to find out what’s next.”

“How would you feel about me using a strap-on?”

“Mmmm, I like that idea.”

“Really?” Therese asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh my god, I think those would be amazing pictures. You want to … I don’t know, take them tonight?” Therese asked, looking excited and ridiculously adorable.

“Hell yeah. But can I try on my new lingerie first?”

“Obviously. I’m dying to see you in it.”

“And I’m dying to see you in that strap-on.”

“I haven’t used one in a while, but I can’t wait to fuck you with it.”

“Mmmm, baby. I can’t wait either.” Carol pulled Therese against her and felt her hand slip between her legs.

“Keep this wet for me,” she said as she rubbed Carol’s pussy.

“It’s always wet for you.”

“Is that so?” Therese rubbed harder.

“Make it wetter. Tell me about your strap-on,” Carol whispered. “Tell me about what you’re going to do to me.”

“I’m going to slide my hard cock deep inside your wet, throbbing pussy,” she said seductively, making Carol even wetter. “Then I’ll fuck you slowly at first until I’m pounding that juicy cunt of yours. And if I’m really lucky, you’ll squirt and cream all over my cock.”

“Jesus, Therese,” Carol said with a moan. “You’re going to make me come right now.”

“Not yet.” Therese pulled her hand away and Carol whimpered. “Your next orgasm will be on my cock. I can promise you that.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“Why don’t you go try on that lingerie for me. I’m dying to see you in it.”

“Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a head's up, the next chapter IS the threesome ...


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait. I only have another chapter ready to go after this one, which means I need to write more. I really thought I'd be done with this story by now. Unfortunately, I'm still struggling with a writer's block ...
> 
> Anyway, this is a super hot chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

“Are you nervous?” Carol asked as she and Therese stood outside Fiona’s door. Her hand found the small of Therese’s back and she slowly rubbed circles. Therese found her concern endearing and she truly loved the way that Carol worried about her. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, you know.”

“Carol. You don’t have to worry so much about me. If I didn’t want to do this, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I’m sorry - I just worry about you,” she replied with a shrug.

“And I think it’s sweet. But I can assure you that I’m truly looking forward to this.”

“Just be prepared to see a submissive side of me.”

“Oh, I’m definitely looking forward to that,” Therese said with a smirk.

“Are the two of you lurking?” Fiona asked as she opened the door. Therese couldn’t help but practically salivate at how incredible the woman in front of her looked. Fiona was a ridiculously attractive woman with incredible curves, perfect skin and beautiful golden brown eyes. Therese wondered how it was possible that she was fifty-one.

“Just making sure that Therese really wants to do this,” Carol replied.

“Are you having cold feet, sweetheart?” Fiona asked with so much concern in her voice. “Because we don’t have to do this if you’re uncomfortable.”

“Oh no, I’m not at all. Can’t wait, actually.”

“Wonderful,” Fiona replied with a wink. “Come on in.”

Carol and Therese followed Fiona to the kitchen where their gracious hostess poured three glasses of wine. Therese was grateful, needing some liquid courage. It had been a while since she had been with two women at once and she couldn’t be more excited about the two that she was about to be naked with. They were two of the most gorgeous women that Therese had ever seen. How could she _not_ want this?

Therese stood and listened to the two of them make small talk - always the awkward part of this for Therese. She finished her wine and poured another glass for herself.

“Shall we take this to the bedroom?” Fiona asked, holding up the bottle of wine and smiling deviously; it warmed Therese inside.

“What do you say, sweetheart?” Carol asked, whispering in Therese’s ear and then slowly kissing her neck. Therese felt her clit throbbing furiously already.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Carol took her by the hand as they followed Fiona to the bedroom. Therese tried to take in the house along the way, but it was difficult. It was a lovely house with neutral colors - something that Therese appreciated. Living by the beach always made people want to throw seashells on everything and Therese found it completely unoriginal. So to see that Fiona’s house didn’t look like a beach inside made her happy.

When they finally made it to the bedroom, Therese was in awe at the size of the bed - it was definitely big enough for all three of them. She wondered how many women Fiona had in it all at once.

Carol took Therese’s wine glass from her and set both of them on one of the nightstands. She pulled Therese close and kissed her softly. God, she had the best kisses. It didn’t matter if they were slow, fast, deep, hard. She was an incredible kisser.

“I love the way you kiss,” Therese said when she pulled back.

“You’re easy to kiss, darling,” Carol replied.

Therese felt Fiona come up behind her, felt her warmth, then her hands on Therese’s sides, sliding under her shirt. The touch gave her goosebumps and she held her breath as she felt the soft hands sliding farther up her stomach.

“Is this okay?” Fiona asked, whispering in her ear.

Therese couldn’t do anything but nod when she felt Fiona’s mouth crash onto her neck. She angled her neck to give her better access. Then she felt Carol’s hands lifting her shirt, sliding it up over her head. She had to admit that having two woman pay this much attention to her body felt incredible. 

Fiona unhooked her bra and Carol removed it. She felt Fiona’s hands reach up to caress her breasts and she watched as Carol undressed in front of her. When Fiona rolled her nipples in her fingers, Therese leaned back against her and felt her nipples hard against her back. She reached around, curious to find out if Fiona was already naked and her hands met soft skin. Therese wondered how quickly she undressed and suddenly she felt overdressed with the two beautifully naked women she was sandwiched between.

Carol gave her a devious grin as she unbuttoned Therese’s jeans and kneeled to pull them down along with her underwear. Finally, she was free of her clothes and felt completely uninhibited. 

Carol kissed her lower stomach and reached around to caress her ass. She looked down to watch Carol’s mouth go lower and lower until she reached her pussy. Therese moaned at the overstimulation from it all. Two sets of hands on her, Carol’s mouth softly kissing her pussy and Fiona’s mouth working her neck. Therese was in sexual bliss. 

She pushed herself farther towards Carol’s mouth, needing to feel that wet heat on her own wet heat. Carol chuckled and pulled one of Therese’s legs over her shoulder.

“Eager, sweetheart?” she asked.

Therese only whimpered in reply, too caught up in the sensations on her body. Carol’s tongue lapped at her, sliding through her pussy lips and one of Fiona’s hands slid down to Therese’s clit.

“God, you’re a treat,” Fiona whispered in her ear. “A delicious, wet treat.”

Therese turned her head to kiss Fiona. She had soft lips, not unlike Carol’s. Different than Carol’s, but she was also a wonderful kisser. But Therese found it difficult to continue the kiss as Carol’s tongue applied more pressure and Fiona’s fingers did the same to her clit.

She fell back against Fiona as she felt her orgasm building and she reached down for Carol’s head, holding her against her body. Fiona continued her kisses along Therese’s neck.

“Come for us, sweetheart,” Fiona said. “I want to see you come undone.”

That was all Therese needed to hear and she finally came, panting and sweating as she did. Fiona held her upright as she slouched back against her. 

“Jesus,” Therese breathed out and she heard Carol chuckle.

“Good?” Carol asked.

“Hell yes.”

She felt Fiona smile against the back of her neck. “We’re just getting started, sweetheart,” Fiona said. “Why don’t you lie down? I think you need a minute to recover.”

Carol stood up and helped Therese onto the bed. She laid down next to her and Therese finally got to see Fiona naked. She couldn’t help staring at the woman; she had a beautiful body.

“You’re gorgeous,” Therese complimented her.

“So are you,” Fiona replied, smiling. She licked her fingers that were wet with Therese’s arousal. “Delicious, too.”

She watched as Fiona walked away and ogled her from behind. Therese turned over to Carol and smiled. “That was amazing.”

“Yes, it was,” Carol replied with a huge grin.

“Where’s she going?”

“Probably to get toys. I imagine she’s strapping on right now.”

“Mmmm, are you about to get fucked?” Therese asked, excited about the thought of watching that.

“Probably. Why? Are you excited to see that?” Carol asked and massaged one of Therese’s breasts.

“Hell yeah!” Therese exclaimed. She moved her hand in between Carol’s legs, feeling her wetness. “I’d say you’re ready to be fucked,” Therese said. “You really get this wet from licking me?”

“God, yes. Always. I love the way you taste, the way you feel in my mouth, the way you smell. I love all of it. I love _you_.”

“I love you so much,” Therese replied and kissed her passionately.

“Damn, that’s a beautiful sight.” Therese turned to find Fiona standing at the bottom of the bed with a purple dildo sticking out between her legs. “Don’t let me stop you if you want to keep going.”

“I think this needs some attention,” Therese said as she rubbed Carol’s pussy.

“If you’d like to continue, I can watch,” Fiona said as she lubed her purple dildo.

“Oh no, it’s my turn to watch,” Therese replied.

“You don’t have to just watch, sweetheart. You’re welcome to join in.”

God, how did Therese get so lucky with two ridiculously seductive women? Fiona was equally seductive as Carol.

“I’m sure I’ll join in.”

Carol spread her legs as Fiona climbed on the bed and positioned herself between them. When she leaned down to kiss Carol, Therese felt her clit throb at the sight.

“Hey you,” Fiona whispered to Carol as she pulled back.

“Hey,” Carol replied.

“Didn’t think we’d be doing this again.”

“Me either,” Carol said and turned to smile at Therese. “You ready for this?” she asked and Therese nodded.

Therese watched as Fiona positioned the dildo at Carol’s pussy. She rubbed it along her clit and Carol moaned as she did. Carol reached for Therese and guided her head to her nipple. Therese sucked greedily, enjoying the moans coming from the blonde goddess beneath her. Therese turned her head to watch Fiona ease the dildo inside of Carol. 

Therese moved to lie down next to Carol so that she could enjoy the show. Carol held onto her and she played with Carol’s nipples, caressing and tugging, alternating between the two as she watched Fiona slowly fuck Carol. 

“Therese,” Fiona said, snapping her from the live porn happening in front of her. “Rub her clit … slowly.”

Therese moved her hand to Carol’s pussy, complying with Fiona’s demands. Fiona’s dominance was sexy and Therese knew that it had to be how Carol learned to be so dominant. 

“Carol,” Fiona said, demanding her attention. “You don’t get to come until I say.”

“I know.”

“Safe word?” Therese’s pussy clenched at Fiona’s question. Carol needing a safe word? Now, _this_ could be fun.

“Unicorn,” Carol replied.

“Good. Don’t forget to tap me if you can’t speak.”

Therese wondered why she wouldn’t be able to speak, but it didn’t take long to figure it out.

Fiona reached down to wrap her long fingers around Carol’s neck as she fucked her harder. Therese had never fucked Carol that way, had no idea that she even liked anything like that. This was definitely a learning experience. A _sexy_ learning experience.

When Fiona slowed down, she let go of Carol’s neck.

“Turn over,” she commanded and Therese watched in awe as Carol complied. Submissive Carol was a new experience for Therese, but she was enjoying the show.

Carol got on all fours with her ass sticking out in the air. Fiona gave two quick smacks to Carol’s ass and Therese felt herself gush. 

“Would you like to have a turn, darling?” Fiona asked, looking at Therese. 

Therese turned to Carol, unsure if she should, but Carol nodded at her to go ahead. This certainly felt strange since these positions were usually opposite for them. Therese sat up on her knees and caressed Carol’s ass. And what a nice ass it was. She gave a light smack, almost afraid of hurting her or marring the perfect skin in front of her. Carol moaned and it only spurred Therese to do it harder the next time.

Fiona moved a hand to the small of Therese’s back and whispered in her ear, “You’re pretty good at that. Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes,” Therese whispered.

“Why don’t you sit back and watch, sweetheart. I think you may enjoy this.”

Therese moved to the side and watched as Fiona went to work. This was clearly not the first time that they did this together. Fiona gathered Carol’s hair and held it in one hand and used her free hand to occasionally smack Carol’s ass as she fucked her senseless. The sounds coming from Carol were primal and sexy. Therese felt her hips moving, seeking out any friction she could.

Fiona looked over and winked at Therese. “Why don’t you lie down underneath her?” she suggested.

“Hey baby,” Carol whispered when Therese positioned herself underneath Carol. 

“Hey.” This was going to be a much more enjoyable view, especially to see Carol’s breasts bouncing around right over her.

“Therese, do you like to be squirted on?” Fiona asked.

Therese blushed as she answered. “Yes.”

“Would you like that to happen?”

“Yes.”

Carol leaned down to kiss her softly. “You really want me to squirt on you?”

“Yeah, I do.” Therese wanted everything and anything tonight. She was prepared for anything to happen.

“Carol, go ahead and rub your clit and tell me when. I’ll let you come when you’re ready.”

God, Fiona was in control of everything and it was sexy. Carol reached down and rubbed her clit as Fiona continued fucking her. Was there anything more erotic than lying under Carol as she got fucked from behind? Therese was ready for another orgasm after watching for what seemed like an eternity.

Every thrust into Carol made her breasts bounce and Therese reached up to hold them. Carol told her to squeeze them hard and she told Fiona to stop. When she did, she came hard all over Therese and collapsed on top of her. Carol had never come on her like that, but Therese loved every second of it.

“Jesus,” Carol said, breathing heavily. 

Therese wrapped her arms around Carol, holding her and caressing her back as she came down. She watched as Fiona removed the strap-on. She winked at Therese and reached down to feel herself. Her hand was soaked. She smirked and sat back with her legs spread wide.

Carol rolled off of her and Therese sat up, leaning against the headboard to enjoy the show. 

“Touch yourself,” Fiona said. “I’m sure you’re in need of another orgasm.”

Carol rubbed Therese’s thigh and pulled her leg, encouraging her. But Therese didn’t need any encouragement. After what had just happened and what was about to happen, Therese was more than ready to masturbate while watching Fiona do the same thing.

Therese watched Fiona’s nimble fingers fuck herself until she came hard and it didn’t take long for Therese to tumble over the edge.

Therese hoped that this wouldn’t be the end of their night together …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? Are you on fire?


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, I've taken forever to post this. So sorry! After this, there are two more chapters and then "that's that" ...

“Are you enjoying your night?” Carol asked Therese when they were alone in Fiona’s bed. She wanted to be sure that the night was as enjoyable for Therese as it was for her.

“So much,” Therese said and rolled onto her side, propping her head on her hand. “I had no idea you had such a submissive side to you.”

“Is it too strange for you, my submissive side?”

“No, I think it’s sexy. It’s given me a plethora of ideas.”

“Is that so?” she asked, playfully.

“Mmmhmm.”

“What about the sex with Fiona? Is all of _that_ okay with you? If you don’t want to do this anymore tonight, we can go home. I want you to be comfortable.”

“I think it’s sweet that you’re worrying about me, but I’m very much enjoying the night. Aren’t you?”

“Yes. So much.” And Carol was thoroughly enjoying it. She had never admitted it to Therese, but she was slightly skeptical about how Therese would feel about the threesome with Fiona. But so far, Therese seemed to be enjoying it.

“Food’s here,” Fiona said, standing in the doorway. “Hmmm, but the food can wait if you two aren’t finished …”

“Come over here,” Therese beckoned.

Fiona took off her robe and draped it over one of the chairs in her room. She settled in behind Therese, both of them facing Carol. Her hand moved to Therese’s breast as she massaged. Carol was enjoying the show in front of her.

Therese moaned and pushed herself further into Fiona as her eyes closed. Carol shared a smirk with Fiona as she pushed forward to take Therese’s free breast in her mouth and the younger woman gasped.

“May I tie you up?” Fiona whispered to Therese, running her tongue along the sensitive patch of skin behind Therese’s ear. The thought of Therese tied up sent a shiver along Carol’s spine.

“Yes,” Therese breathed out.

Fiona was quick in tying Therese’s hands to the headboard. She made it easy on her, using a scarf instead of her usual restraints. Carol appreciated the care that she was using on Therese. Fiona was a kind woman that Carol truly loved as a friend.

Carol’s hands roamed both of the naked beauties in front of her and she watched as Fiona softly kissed Therese. The younger woman’s legs wrapped around Fiona’s slim waist and squeezed. Carol chuckled, knowing how much Fiona probably wanted to push her legs away, but she welcomed it, even stroking Therese’s thighs.

Carol decided to surprised Fiona and positioned herself behind her. With Fiona hovering over Therese, Carol had an excellent view of two beautifully wet pussies, both vying for her attention. She kissed Fiona’s asscheeks and wasn’t surprised that the older woman didn’t falter. Her mouth made a wet trail all the way down to Fiona’s pussy and she licked up and down, her tongue flat to drive her wild from the sensation.

She heard Fiona moan into Therese’s mouth. Fiona was going to take care of Therese, but if she had the option to tease, Carol knew that she’d take it and stretch out as long as possible. Fiona loved to tease and loved being teased. It could’ve been where Carol got her penchant for teasing.

While she continued her oral assault on Fiona’s pussy, she reached down to feel Therese’s own wet center and slowly massaged. She had no intention of making her come, only wanting to tease.

Fiona pushed herself back into Carol and reached around to hold Carol in place. Christ, Fiona was sexy in her dominance. Carol sucked and prodded with her tongue, occasionally dipping it inside Fiona’s entrance.

“Make me come,” Fiona commanded and Carol quit her teasing, her tongue becoming more insistent. Fiona came hard with a loud moan and released her grasp on Carol. She sat back on her heels and pulled Carol in for a searing kiss. “You’re so good at that,” she murmured against Carol’s lips. “Therese is a lucky woman.”

Carol chuckled when she heard Therese moan. Poor Therese, lying there, her body probably dying for attention.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Carol asked. Therese only bit her bottom lip, moaning her response.

“Aww, poor thing,” Fiona said. “Should I take care of her?” she asked, looking at Carol.

“I think you should. Look at her squirming.”

“But her squirming is such a beautiful sight.”

Carol actually took pity on her because there was absolutely nothing Therese could do about her current situation. But she also knew that Therese was thoroughly enjoying herself.

“I’ll be right back,” Fiona whispered. “Warm her up for me,” she said, winking at Carol.

Carol moved closer to Therese and trailed her nails up and down her thighs. Therese squirmed even more and Carol laughed.

“You look perfect tied up like this.” She moved her hand to Therese’s pussy and smacked it hard, eliciting a groan from the younger woman.

“Oooh, does she like to have her pussy smacked?” Fiona asked when she reappeared, wearing a smaller dildo.

“She does,” Carol replied.

“You truly are a special treat,” Fiona said to Therese as she positioned herself between her legs. She rubbed Therese’s pussy. “May I?”

“Please,” Therese begged and Fiona smacked her just as Carol did moments before.

Carol laid next to Therese and let her hand roam Therese’s body while Fiona teased her pussy with the dildo. Therese squirmed and moaned as Fiona came closer and pushed the tip of the dildo inside. She watched as Therese’s head fell back and her eyes closed. 

“Faster,” Therese whispered and Fiona complied.

“You’re so beautiful,” Carol whispered in Therese’s ear. “It’s so hot watching Fiona fuck you.” Carol already knew how responsive Therese was to dirty talk. She moved her hand to Therese’s clit and rubbed.

“Oh fuck,” Therese said, panting. “Don’t stop.”

Carol moved to suck on Therese’s nipples, alternating between the two. She felt Therese’s body building toward her orgasm and moved her hand faster. 

“Come for us, baby,” she whispered against Therese’s breast. And Therese came … hard.

Fiona slowed her movements and Carol untied Therese’s hands. As soon as she did, Therese clung to Carol, holding onto her. Carol smiled at Fiona who gave her a wink and said that she was going to eat.

* * *

When Therese went downstairs, she found Fiona already eating pizza. Therese didn’t even bother with a plate as hungry as she was. She wanted to wait for Carol, who was still upstairs, but she was just too ravenous.

“Work up an appetite?” Fiona asked with a smirk.

“I’m sorry - I’m just so hungry.”

“No need to apologize,” Fiona replied. “So … fun night?”

“Most definitely.”

“Good. If at any point you’re uncomfortable or want to leave, you can.”

“I appreciate that. But I’m having a lot of fun,” Therese replied.

“You love her, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Good. I’m glad that she’s happy with you.”

“She told me that you ended it with her because you knew that she was in love with me.”

“I did. I didn’t want our sexual relationship to hinder her happiness. If she had any chance to be with you, I didn’t want to be the one to stand in the way of that. You two clearly make each other happy.”

“Were you ever in love with her?” Therese wasn’t sure why she asked the question, but she was dying to know the answer. Who didn’t fall in love with Carol?

“I think I realized it too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, she and I didn’t exactly have a real relationship.”

“She told me.”

“I knew that she was in love with me or what she thought love was at the time. After I ended it with her, I realized that I should’ve chosen her over my husband. I was happy with her and she was smitten with me. But seeing her with you … it makes me realize that she wasn’t in love with me. She’s head over heels for you. I’m not going to lie, I regret not choosing her, but I don’t think that she’d be happy with me the way that she is with you.”

“Are you still in love with her?”

“Carol will have a special place in my heart and I’ll always love her. But I’ve come to terms with the decisions that I’ve made regarding her. And to answer your question, no, I’m not. You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you,” she said, smiling. “And I couldn’t be happier about tonight.”

“But what about you? Don’t you want to find someone?”

“Well, I haven’t found her yet,” Fiona said with a shrug. “I was with a woman for a few years, but it just didn’t work. I don’t know, maybe I’m set in my ways.”

“I think you just haven’t found the right one yet.”

“Maybe.”

It was then that Therese began to hatch a plan to find the perfect woman for Fiona. She didn’t know why she felt such a soft spot for Fiona, but she had to admit that besides the wonderful night they were having, she was beginning to really like her. She wanted Fiona to be as happy as she was and find someone to share her life with, but someone who clearly enjoyed being adventurous and open in the bedroom. It suddenly hit her that maybe Abby would be the perfect woman for Fiona.

* * *

“Do you think Fiona’s happy?” Therese asked as soon as Carol opened her eyes the next morning.

“Well good morning to you, too.” She was not expecting that question as soon as she woke up after the night they all shared together.

“Good morning,” Therese said and leaned down to kiss Carol. 

“Where did that question come from?”

“I don’t know. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about since we got home last night. I really like her and I want her to be happy.”

“You’re adorable,” Carol said, smiling. She loved the way Therese worried about other people.

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are and I still think you’re adorable. I don’t know, I think Fiona’s happy.”

“I don’t think she’s found the right woman. I want to help.”

“Of course you do.”

“What about Abby?”

“What about her?”

“You think she and Fiona would be good together?”

“Fiona and Abby?” Carol never really thought about the two together.

“That would probably be weird for you, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t think it would, but I don’t know about getting Abby to live here. I’m sure she could find a job …”

“So let’s find her a job.”

“What has gotten in to you this morning?” Carol asked with a chuckle.

“I don’t know.” Therese shrugged. “I just think they’d be good together and I’d like to see them both happy.”

“I love you even more for worrying about them.”

“So, how do we make it work?”

“I can talk to Abby about coming for a visit.”

“Wait! I have it!”

“What?”

“The perfect excuse.”

“And what would that be?” Carol asked.

“Your birthday.”

“My birthday?”

“Yeah. We can have a party.”

“Okay, but you know I don’t really have any friends, right? I mean, who the hell would I invite?”

“Well, Fiona and Abby, obviously.”

“Therese, I don’t want a party.”

“Oh, come on. It’ll be the perfect excuse and I’ll invite some of my friends that I want you to meet anyway.”

“Jesus Christ,” Carol said with a sigh. She really hated the thought of a party just for her. Especially with people that she didn’t know, making them feel awkward about coming to a birthday party for someone that they didn’t know.

“It doesn’t have to be a traditional birthday party like you’re thinking. It’ll just be a get-together where we happen to be celebrating your birthday.”

“Your plan of getting these two together better work, Belivet.”

“Oh, trust me. I’m going to make sure I work hard enough to get these two together.”

“So, no more threesomes with Fiona.”

“I thought about that, but if that’s what it takes to find her a woman, I’m okay with that,” Therese replied. “It’s unfortunate because last night was a lot of fun, but oh well.”

“Last night _was_ fun,” Carol said and rolled on top of Therese. “So much fun that I’m not finished with you.”

“Later. I want to make breakfast. I’m starving.”

“Oh, fine. But you owe me.”

“Absolutely,” Therese replied with a wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Therese the hopeless romantic


	29. Chapter 29

“So, you and Therese are living together, huh?” Abby asked.

“Yes,” Carol replied.

“How’s it going?”

“Pretty good, actually.”

Carol was sitting next to Abby on the back deck at the _non-birthday_ party that Carol had insisted on. Some of Therese’s friends had shown up and she was happy to finally meet some of them. She was also happy that Rindy was there for the week. Fiona had yet to show up and she knew that Therese couldn’t wait to set her plan into motion.

“How does Rindy feel about it?”

“She seemed okay with it. She already loves Therese, so that helps,” Carol replied with a shrug. “I think she already knew that I’m gay.”

“She’s a good kid.”

“She is. God, I hate when she leaves.”

“I know you do.” Abby put her arm around Carol to comfort her.

Carol turned her head when the back door opened and in walked Fiona. She was dressed casually, but there was nothing casual about Fiona. She was gorgeous no matter what she wore.

“Holy shit!” Abby whispered. “Is that Fiona?”

“Yep,” Carol replied with a smirk.

“Damn, no wonder you were fucking her. She’s hot as hell.”

“I think you’re drooling.”

“Can you blame me?”

“Not at all.”

“Well? Are you going to introduce us?”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t need an introduction. The two of you met a long time ago.”

“Okay, well then reintroduce me.”

Carol looked for Therese and they both shared a knowing smirk.

“What’s that look about?” Abby asked.

“Nothing,” Carol replied, feigning innocence. “Come on.” She pulled Abby up and walked over to Fiona. “Hello, Fi.”

“Carol, hello,” she replied while hugging her. “Abby? Is that you?”

“You remember me?” she asked, bewildered.

“I never forget a beautiful woman.” 

Carol couldn’t remember the last time that she had seen Abby blush, but she sure was now. Fiona certainly had the power of seduction that almost anyone could fall for.

“Well, I’ll just leave you two to catch up. Have fun, ladies,” Carol said with a wink. 

Carol found Therese in the kitchen, mixing a drink at the counter. She came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Therese’s slim waist and leaned down to kiss her neck. Carol knew that she’d never get enough of this woman.

“Hey, beautiful,” she whispered.

“Hey,” Therese replied. Carol didn’t have to see her face to know that she was smiling - she could hear it in her voice.

“How is it possible that you can look so sexy while you’re mixing a drink?” she asked.

“I’m pretty sure that you think anything I do is sexy.”

“That’s certainly true.” Carol’s hands moved higher to Therese’s breasts and she squeezed lightly.

“Carol … there are people here.”

“They’re all outside.”

“Your daughter’s out there.”

“Ouch,” Carol said and dropped her hands. “Mood killer.”

Therese turned around and gave her a kiss. “Sorry, babe. But I don’t want to get caught by your daughter and I don’t think that you do, either.”

“That’s true. Switching subjects, your plan is in motion.”

“Oh, yeah?” Therese’s face lit up.

“Yeah. Fiona apparently remembered Abby very well and of course, Abby was drooling when she saw Fiona.”

“Well, the first part was easy.”

“I don’t know about getting Abby to move, but I could try.”

“I have a question for you.” Therese suddenly seemed shy and it piqued Carol’s interest.

“All right. Go ahead.”

“How’d you get into prison? I mean, what led to you going to prison?”

“You don’t know?” Carol asked, surprised by the question.

“No.”

“Wow. I really thought you knew.”

“I don’t,” she said, shrugging.

“Okay, so I’ll shorten it up a bit. I didn’t know it at the time, but my girlfriend was a drug dealer. Trust me, she hid it very well. Anyway, we were going to eat one night and we took my car, but what I didn’t know at the time was that she stashed a lot of drugs in my trunk. She must have done it before we left that night because what I found out later was that the anonymous tip to the police was from an angry dealer whose territory she infringed upon. He must have seen her put it there,” Carol said with a shrug. “We got pulled over, she denied it. It was my car, so … technically, it was mine. Not much I could do about that.”

“Wow. That’s … I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s a lot to take in, I know.”

“How are you even able to trust anyone anymore?” Therese was clearly still in shock over Carol’s story.

“I can’t live my life not trusting everyone,” Carol replied with a shrug. “Hopefully, I’m a better judge of character now.”

“I would never do anything like that to someone that I love. I would feel too guilty. Has she tried to contact you?”

“No. And if she has any sense, she never will. I want to put that part of my life behind me.”

“I understand.” Therese wrapped her arms around Carol and gave her a kiss. “You have me now. I’ll never hurt you intentionally that way.”

“I know you won’t, darling.”

“Carol?” Abby’s voice cut through the air. “Where are you?”

“In the kitchen,” Carol replied.

“Holy shit, Carol. Fiona is smokin’ hot.”

Carol and Therese laughed before Abby even made it to the kitchen. Carol wasn’t even surprised that the two of them would get along so well, especially since both of them loved sex so much.

“Am I interrupting something?” Abby asked when she finally got to the kitchen and saw Carol and Therese all over each other.

“No, we can control ourselves,” Carol replied. “So, tell me all about how you and Fiona are getting along.”

“Oh my god, why didn’t you tell me that you were hiding such a hottie here?”

“You really don’t remember Fiona?”

“Not really.”

“Oh, I remember. You were with that horrible woman at the time and you thought you were so in love with her. I don’t remember her name. Cathy, maybe?”

“Oh yeah,” Abby replied. “Ugh, she was the worst.”

“That’s probably why you don’t remember Fiona.”

“Well, we’re certainly getting along now,” Abby said, raising her eyebrows.

“That’s wonderful, Abby,” Therese said, smirking and cut her eyes to Carol. Abby’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the interaction.

“Wait, was this planned? Were you trying to get us together?”

Carol put her hands in the air. “Don’t look at me.”

“Miss Belivet, were you trying to set me up?”

“Maybe?” she replied with a shrug. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

“No, but I don’t live here.”

“You could,” Therese replied. 

“Hmmm, I do have many reasons to move here, including a brand new one …”

“Why don’t you just hang out with Fiona,” Carol suggested. “Maybe ask her out and see how it goes from there. And if you’re serious about getting together with her, then who knows? Maybe you just might move down here.”

“What made you come up with this plan?” Abby asked Therese.

“Oh, uh … well, I just thought that you two would get along really well together.” Carol chuckled at Therese’s blushing; it was too adorable.

“Why the blushing?” Abby asked.

“She got the idea after a … night that we spent with Fiona.”

“Holy shit! You had a threesome with Fiona?”

“Uh … yeah. Is that too weird for you?” Carol asked.

“Not at all, but damn, I’ll bet that was a fun night.”

“I’m sure the two of you could have some fun nights.”

“I’m already imagining it, trust me.”

* * *

One week later and Abby still hadn’t gone back home. Since she had initially been staying with Carol and Therese, her absence had not gone unnoticed by her best friend. When she got home that Friday evening from painting all day, she was surprised to find Abby in the kitchen … cooking.

“Hello,” Carol greeted her friend with a hug. “I’m surprised that you’re here … and hydrated.”

“I know, I’m so sorry. I’ve been completely absent.”

“Have you been having fun?”

“Oh my god, you have no idea.”

“Oh, I have an idea,” Carol said with a smirk.

“Right. I totally forgot. To be fair, my brain has not been with it lately.”

“I completely understand.”

“She is … wow.”

Carol chuckled to herself. “Are you cooking?”

“I am. I wanted to make the two of you dinner.”

“Well, that’s sweet, but you didn’t have to do that. So, any thoughts about long-term plans? Plan on moving here yet? The two of you can’t seem to separate from each other.”

“Maybe,” Abby replied, shrugging.

“Oh, really? Is that all it takes to get you down here, some hot sex?”

“Not only that.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know, Carol. We have a connection …”

“But?”

“It’s still pretty early to try to make a lifestyle change.”

“Is it, though? I mean, you can find a job down here. What’s really keeping you up there? You have no family there. I know you have friends, but … your best friend lives down here. I’d be thrilled if you lived super close to me. Now that I’m out of prison, I’d love to be able to just drive over to your place when I miss you.” Carol shrugged, realizing that she was becoming overly sentimental, but spending a considerable amount of time in prison will do that to a person. “I’m just saying that I miss you and life’s short. I don’t want to spend it missing you even more than I already have.”

“I understand where you’re coming from and trust me, the thought has definitely crossed my mind over the last week and not just because of Fiona. I miss you, too. It would be nice to see you whenever.”

“See? You should move, Abby. You can stay here for a while until you find a place. Unless Fiona’s already offered,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

“Ha ha, smartass.”

“So, besides the sex, the two of you have a lot in common?”

“Surprisingly, we’ve done a lot of talking. Of course in between the incredible fucking.”

“Do you truly see something long-term with her?”

“I think I could, yeah.”

“Seriously? Have the two of you talked about that?” Carol was getting ridiculously excited for her best friend and herself for the prospect of having her best friend within driving distance.

“Yeah, we’ve talked a lot about being together long-term and how we could make it work. We both agreed that if we were to try to be together, then we need to take some time to get to know each other a little better.”

“Not a bad plan.”

“I’ve already started looking for jobs,” Abby said, not able to look Carol in the eye.

“Oh my god, that’s so exciting!” Carol ran over to her best friend and hugged her tightly.

“You think so? You don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself, do you? I mean, what if for some reason it doesn’t work out with Fiona?”

“Then you’ll still be here and you’ll still have me,” she said, releasing her from her grasp.

“That’s true.”

“So? Are you gonna do it? Are you gonna move?”

Abby looked at Carol, her smile growing by the second. “Yes.”

“Did I just hear Abby saying that she’s gonna move here?” Therese asked when she came into the kitchen with a satisfied look on her face.

“Therese,” Abby said, softly. “Thank you so much.”

“Are you getting sentimental on me? What are you thanking me for?”

“I think you know.”

“So, it’s going well?” Therese asked.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Good. I’m glad you two are getting along well.” Therese quickly kissed Carol and turned her attention to the stove. “And you’re cooking? You must be feeling great.”

“I thought it was the least I could do to make up for not being here.”

“Oh Abby, you don’t have to make up for not being here. My plan was to get the two of you together and clearly it worked.”

“Like a charm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter ...


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate when stories end, but I hope you'll enjoy this last chapter.

_One year later_

Carol woke up, fully aware of Therese’s sleeping body completely wrapped around her. She never tired of waking up this way: wrapped up in the woman she loved completely. Over the last year, their love had only grown stronger. Every day with Therese had felt brand new. 

Her life had changed so much in the last year. Every day she felt even more free than the day before. It was still strange to not have to have every second of her day planned out the way that it had been while she was in prison. She appreciated everything a little more now. She took a little longer enjoying the simple things in life that she didn’t have the opportunity to while she was locked up. Everything in the world seemed more vibrant and she appreciated it. 

Next week would come a change in her life that she and Therese were both looking forward to. Rindy would be staying with them for an entire month in the summer. It was something that Harge had agreed to and Carol couldn’t have been more thrilled that he was so gracious about making that decision. And Rindy was over the moon about spending an entire month with her mother. 

Carol’s thoughts were interrupted by a stirring Therese, but instead of waking up, Therese snuggled in closer to Carol. She couldn’t help but smile at how much she loved the woman in her arms. She leaned down and softly kissed her head. 

“Mmmm, good morning,” Therese mumbled, sleepily. “What time is it?”

“It’s early, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.”

“Easier said than done with your gorgeous, naked body against me.”

“Would you prefer I put on some clothes?” Carol asked, playfully.

“Don’t you dare,” Therese replied and gripped Carol tighter. “I prefer you to be naked as much as possible.”

“Even when you’re asleep?”

“Yes.”

“You’re insatiable.”

Therese opened her sleepy eyes and looked up at Carol. “It’s your fault.”

“How is that _my_ fault?” she asked, chuckling.

“Because you’re so damn sexy.”

“Oh, so it’s only about my body, then?”

“Of course.” Therese shifted to kiss Carol. “Hey you.”

“Well, hello. Did you sleep well?”

“I’m pretty sure we didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Ah, I think that would be your fault, Miss Belivet.”

“Maybe,” she replied, sheepishly. “Is that a complaint?”

“On the contrary.”

Carol had absolutely no complaints about Therese’s sexual appetite. They shared an extremely healthy sex life. She wondered if Therese would ever tire of their seemingly endless sex, but she was pretty confident that she wouldn’t. 

“What did you want to do today, darling?”

“Mmmm, sleep,” Therese replied.

“Besides sleep.”

“Literally nothing. I’m worn out.”

She knew how worn out Therese was, too. She’d been working non-stop to open her own business and working constantly to get clients. Carol was so proud of her and she wanted to do whatever Therese wanted today. If she wanted to stay in bed all day, Carol would be more than happy to do just that.

“If you’d like, I could just wait on you hand and foot all day. You need a break, darling. You’ve been working too hard.”

“Oooohh, I like the sound of that.” 

The reply came mumbled and Carol knew how tired Therese really was. She closed her eyes to try to get some sleep after Therese had fallen asleep so quickly, but sleeping was difficult. The only thing that she had on her mind lately was wanting to marry Therese. They had discussed it a handful of times and Therese had assured her that she’d want to get married again eventually, but she wasn’t ready for it yet and Carol understood. Losing Liz still seemed fresh to the both of them and Carol wasn’t going to overstep her boundaries, so she’d have to wait to finally make that dream come true. But Therese was more than worth the wait. 

Carol had a ring picked out, but had yet to purchase. She wanted to be sure that Therese was more than ready before she bought it. Although to Carol, even if Therese had never wanted to get married again, she would have still been happy with Therese either way. She didn’t need to be married to Therese to know that she was going to spend the rest of her life with her.

So Carol did the only thing that she’d been able to do over the past couple months when she thought about it and that was to push it to the back of her mind. After a few minutes, she finally fell asleep, happily holding onto the woman that she hoped one day to call her wife.

* * *

Carol was surprised when Abby stopped by later that day. Abby had decided to move close to her friend. Well, Carol wasn’t the only reason that Abby had moved. Fiona was the reason that Abby moved, but Carol didn’t care about the reason why, as long as she had her best friend near her.

Abby and Fiona had been slow going at first, but now they had been together for eight months and the two of them were ridiculously in love with each other. Carol was beyond happy for them. She had seen Abby go through some shitty relationships and Carol was thrilled for her best friend.

“Where’s the lady?” Carol asked when they went out back and sat down.

“Her skills are needed elsewhere today.”

Carol raised her eyebrows with a questioning look.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Abby replied. “Not _those_ kind of skills, those are reserved for me alone. She’s working.”

“Ah, of course. And it’s still going well?” Of course, Carol knew that it was, but Abby’s happiness was infectious.

“Yes,” Abby replied, dreamily.

“Good. I’m happy for you.”

“What about you? Where’s your lady?”

“Asleep,” Carol said and took a sip of her coffee.

“Oh, you wore her out, huh?”

“She wore herself out. Between last night and her working constantly, she’s exhausted. She really needs to take a break.”

“How’s her business going?”

“It’s going well. I just wish that she’d take a little time for herself, but she loves what she’s doing.”

“And everything is still going well with the two of you?” Abby asked.

“Everything’s great, Abby.” Carol didn’t sound too convincing when she said it and she knew why, but everything with Therese was great. Perfect, really.

“You sure?”

Carol let out a sigh. “Yes, I’m sure. I’ve just been thinking about our future a lot and …”

“And?”

Carol hadn’t told Abby that she wanted to marry Therese, but she was pretty sure that Abby knew.

“I want to marry her, Abby. She just needs time, you know and I fully understand. It’s just … I don’t know, I’ve never been married to someone that I truly want to spend the rest of my life with. I’m being extremely patient, but I also feel extremely insecure.” Carol took a deep breath. “I know she loves me and we really couldn’t be happier. If she never wants to get married, trust me, I’d be okay with that as well. It’s just that since we started talking about it, I can’t get it out of my mind, you know.”

“Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

“Oh no, it’s just me being insecure; I already know that.”

“She _does_ love you,” Abby replied with a smile.

“Oh, I know she does,” Carol said, beaming. “I just really can’t wait for her to be my wife. I want to know how it feels to introduce her to someone as my wife, you know?”

“I understand.”

“Oh, do you now?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “Is there something you’re not telling your best friend?”

“No, of course not. If that happens with Fiona and I, trust me, you’ll be the first to know.”

“I’d better be.”

“Are you gonna be okay?” Abby asked and put her hand on Carol’s arm.

“Yes. Thank you.”

After Abby left, Carol went to the store to get something to fix for dinner that night. She let Therese continue to sleep, knowing she needed the rest. Driving herself to the grocery store was a simple pleasure that Carol had enjoyed the past few months since she got her license back. The first thing she did when she was able to drive again was buy herself a car.

She didn’t know what Therese would want to eat, but she picked up a bunch of different foods that she knew Therese loved and returned home. Therese didn’t wake up until Carol was in the middle of cooking them dinner. 

“Well, good evening, sleepy head,” she said when Therese entered the kitchen looking extremely well rested.

Therese yawned and stretched before kissing Carol. “What’s all of this?”

“I figured you’d be hungry, so I fixed a few different things for you.”

“Oh my god, I’m starved. You didn’t have to do all of this.”

“I know, but you’ve been working yourself to death lately and I don’t think you’re taking care of yourself that well, sweetheart. I just worry about you.”

“I know. I’m going to try to do better. I promise.”

“Well, if you’re hungry, there’s plenty here to eat.”

“You’re my favorite meal,” Therese said and kissed Carol softly. It was always surprising to Carol how quickly her body could respond to Therese with just a few words.

“You can have me later, but right now, I want you to eat food.”

“Okay, okay,” Therese acquiesced and filled a plate with food. “Was Abby here earlier?” she asked when she sat down. “I thought I heard her.”

“She was, but you were still passed out.”

“How is she?”

“Crazy happy.”

“I’m glad that she and Fiona have worked out.”

“Me too.”

Carol finally fixed herself a plate and sat down. She chuckled as she watched Therese tear through her food and fill her plate again. Carol thought about how silly she felt earlier about being insecure. Therese was her future whether or not they would be married. A ring on her finger made no difference or not if she was happy with Therese. She was over the moon in love with her and the absence of a wedding ring wasn’t going to change that. 

When Therese was finished eating, she sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. “Jesus, I’m stuffed. That was _so_ good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Why don’t you go shower and I’ll clean up.”

“I don’t mind helping.”

“No, I got it, baby. Go shower.”

“Okay.” Therese went over to Carol and kissed her on the cheek. “Maybe you can meet me in bed after?” she whispered.

“I like that idea.”

Carol cleaned the kitchen and went to the bedroom to change. Truth be told, she couldn’t wait to get to bed. She didn’t get much sleep the night before and she was pretty sure that although Therese had seemed to want to do more than sleep, she was tired as well. 

She climbed into bed and turned on the television, searching for a movie that they could watch. Carol enjoyed the quiet nights that they’d share just cuddling and watching movies. 

Therese climbed into bed and snuggled against her. Carol would never tire of holding Therese against her. She hoped that she made her feel safe and secure.

“Are you happy?” Therese asked.

“I’m always happy with you, darling.”

“You just seemed a bit off tonight, that’s all.”

“I’m fine, sweetheart.”

“If there’s something wrong, you can talk to me.”

“I know I can. Thank you.”

“I have a surprise for you,” Therese said softly.

“A surprise?”

“Yeah. Do you want it?”

“I don’t know. Do I?” This certainly piqued Carol’s interest. It wasn’t unlike Therese to surprise her with a fun gift. Her mind reeled with the possibilities.

Therese sat up and gave her a wicked grin. “I’m pretty sure you do.”

“Okay,” Carol said and sat up. “Surprise me.”

“Close your eyes.”

Carol closed her eyes and strained her ears to listen, as if that would help figure out what Therese had planned. She waited patiently as Therese climbed back onto the bed. Therese seemed to be taking her time and Carol was becoming slightly impatient.

“Can I open my eyes yet?”

“Open them.”

When Carol opened her eyes, Therese was sitting cross legged next to her with her hands between her legs and smiling broadly. Carol looked around, a bit confused as to what the surprise could be.

“Am I missing something?”

“No,” Therese said and leaned over to kiss her softly. 

When she pulled back, Carol saw that she had produced a small box that was open to display a gorgeous ring. Carol stared at the ring, taken aback and looked into Therese’s eyes.

“Therese …”

“Will you marry me? Please?”

“You don’t have to do this to appease me, you know? I want you to want this, too.”

“I _do_ want this.”

“You’re seriously ready for this?” Carol asked as tears began to form.

“I am.”

Carol looked down at the ring again. To say that she was surprised was an understatement and this was the best surprise that she had ever received. She found herself speechless.

“You never answered my question,” Therese said.

Carol smiled and said, “Ask me again.”

“Carol, my darling … will you marry me?”

With a wide grin, Carol replied, “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this story and all of your wonderful comments! I'm working on another Carol fic right now, but I'm also trying to work on my own original story, so I have no idea when my next story will be posted.
> 
> All of you are amazing readers with such nice things to say and you all inspire me to keep writing even when I think what I'm writing is complete shit (LOL)! 
> 
> Special thanks to Ligeria for her hard work (even though she says she barely edits my work, it's still appreciated).


End file.
